“I am a Barrysexual!” – An analysis of queer identity in Bernardine Evaristo’s Mr Loverman
Nenonen, Sara (2023)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023050741621
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023050741621
Tiivistelmä
On the Caribbean island Antigua, the view on homosexuality and sexual minorities has been quite negative and homosexuality has been something to keep silent about. This thesis will study the experience of the older Caribbean generation that has moved to England and with that moved to a more accepting climate. For there, too, is still the problem of learning to accept oneself as part of a sexual minority and coming out in the later part of life. The main source for this literary analysis is Bernardine Evaristo’s Mr Loverman (2013), which tells the story of 74-year-old Antiguan Barrington (Barry) Walker who in his twenties moved with his wife to London. Barrington has been in a secret same-sex relationship with his best friend Morris since they were teenagers. The novel explores Barry’s coming out process and identity crisis when stepping out of his comfort zone from a marriage that has been unhappy for a long time. The research question is: ’What effect does the culture of a character’s homeland have on identity building and how are culture and societal attitudes present in the diaspora?’ Secondary sources are articles on identity formation in LGBTGIA+ individuals, masculinity in Caribbean societies and analyses that have already been done about the novel.
Masculinity and sexuality in The Caribbean is quite focused on masculine men who are strong, assertive, promiscuous, and more absent as parents than involved in home life and child rearing. Being a homosexual in the Caribbean or Antigua specifically is not easy and could often result in ostracization and ridicule since someone in a same-sex relationship is seen as less masculine. Religion and stereotypes play a part in this type of thinking.
The timeline for someone belonging to a sexual minority is often seen as different from someone who is heterosexual. There is a need for figuring out oneself and self-acceptance which is not present in the same way in a heterosexual person’s life. Coming to terms with oneself is often a process that is started alone since there is often in society more information and models for heterosexual relationships. These things are changing in today’s world but slowly. And some places like Antigua are only on the precipice of change, having only legalized same-sex relationships in the summer of 2022.
Life in London has been more accepting but not even there can the minorities escape violence, one example being the 1999 nail bombings where the last target was a gay bar called the Admiral Duncan. These circumstances are quite intimidating for someone who finds themselves belonging to the non-heterosexual group of the world’s population. Coming out requires a safe space and a safe environment, and if a person has been hiding their true sexual identity their whole life because of the society and community’s beliefs then taking the step to reveal their sexuality to others can cause anxiety and feelings of fear, dread and uncertainty. Barry faces challenges with his own beliefs as well as the fear of the reactions of his loved ones. He has been hiding his sexual identity his whole life and is comfortable with that. Accepting himself as a homosexual comes after some self-exploration as well as learning to understand other people and not only relying on his own views and assumptions.
The thesis is based on an analysis of Mr Loverman and the main character’s identity formation and struggle with himself. The theoretical framework comprises of articles and literature on the Caribbean view of masculinity and sexuality. The analysis concludes that the cultural beliefs affect the coming out and identity formation of Barrington Walker, and he struggles to accept that he is a part of the LGBTQIA+ community because of Caribbean societal beliefs. The LGBTQIA+ community is still fighting for their right to be in same-sex relationships and to have the same rights as heterosexual couples have on some of the Caribbean islands. Progress is happening but it is slow.
Masculinity and sexuality in The Caribbean is quite focused on masculine men who are strong, assertive, promiscuous, and more absent as parents than involved in home life and child rearing. Being a homosexual in the Caribbean or Antigua specifically is not easy and could often result in ostracization and ridicule since someone in a same-sex relationship is seen as less masculine. Religion and stereotypes play a part in this type of thinking.
The timeline for someone belonging to a sexual minority is often seen as different from someone who is heterosexual. There is a need for figuring out oneself and self-acceptance which is not present in the same way in a heterosexual person’s life. Coming to terms with oneself is often a process that is started alone since there is often in society more information and models for heterosexual relationships. These things are changing in today’s world but slowly. And some places like Antigua are only on the precipice of change, having only legalized same-sex relationships in the summer of 2022.
Life in London has been more accepting but not even there can the minorities escape violence, one example being the 1999 nail bombings where the last target was a gay bar called the Admiral Duncan. These circumstances are quite intimidating for someone who finds themselves belonging to the non-heterosexual group of the world’s population. Coming out requires a safe space and a safe environment, and if a person has been hiding their true sexual identity their whole life because of the society and community’s beliefs then taking the step to reveal their sexuality to others can cause anxiety and feelings of fear, dread and uncertainty. Barry faces challenges with his own beliefs as well as the fear of the reactions of his loved ones. He has been hiding his sexual identity his whole life and is comfortable with that. Accepting himself as a homosexual comes after some self-exploration as well as learning to understand other people and not only relying on his own views and assumptions.
The thesis is based on an analysis of Mr Loverman and the main character’s identity formation and struggle with himself. The theoretical framework comprises of articles and literature on the Caribbean view of masculinity and sexuality. The analysis concludes that the cultural beliefs affect the coming out and identity formation of Barrington Walker, and he struggles to accept that he is a part of the LGBTQIA+ community because of Caribbean societal beliefs. The LGBTQIA+ community is still fighting for their right to be in same-sex relationships and to have the same rights as heterosexual couples have on some of the Caribbean islands. Progress is happening but it is slow.
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