Book discussion: Chapters 9-11

[queen_ypolita]

Chapters 9-11

In Chapter 9, Maurice realises that he's lost the sensivity to Clive's moods and behaviour he'd have interpreted without any problem before the Easter break. Despite this, they found themselves closer than ever, embracing for the first time, when they are rudely interrupted by Maurice's other friends. At the end of the chapter, later that day, we find that Clive assumed Maurice's affectionate gestures earlier were purposeful and informed by his reading of the Symposium. But Clive got it wrong - Maurice never connected to the Symposium to his friendship with Clive, and is deeply shocked, "to the bottom of his suburban soul", and calls Clive's confession of being in love as nonsense. In Chapter 10, Maurice goes through a turmoil of emotions when he processes everything that happened with Clive so far and what it means. He's upset that Clive's not talking to him unless it's necessary to maintain the illusion of nothing being wrong. But after a frantic night he wakes up with the knowledge: "He loved men and always had loved them. He longed to embrace them and mingle his being with theirs."

Chapter 11 presents us with Maurice's attempts to talk to Clive who is not being very receptive, assuming that Maurice is not being serious. He tells Maurice to "[g]et married quickly and forget", which we the readers, with access to Maurice's thoughts, know he's not the least likely to do. When Maurice pushes on and says he's always "been like the Greeks and didn't know", words still fail him when Clive asks him to explain what he means. What follows is another night of turmoil, and the chapter ends with a dream calling him to Clive.

A couple of questions for you:
Do you think Clive's approach of assuming that Maurice understands the implication of why he was asked to read the Symposium was sensible? If not, what do you think he could have done?

Do you think Clive is being hard on Maurice?

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For the full schedule of the Maurice book discussion, see this post.

Photo credits:
Two young men: YlvaS on Flickr, used under Creative Commons By-Noncommercial-No derivate licence

Punt on the Cam: f.m. suchanek on Flickr, used under Creative Commons By-Noncommercial-No derivate licence

Comments

[trueriver]

The affectionate intimacy that had grown between them was new ground for both of them, but led inevitably and too quickly, to a divergence which was to become clearer only gradually. Clive had come to this point theoretically, and Maurice instinctively. First love is indeed ecstasy and agony, and having read this when I was very young, I identified with it wholeheartedly.

Clive was very much wishful thinking that Maurice would be able to understand him. He expected too much of Maurice, being so apparently offhand in asking whether he had read The Symposium, but not able/ready to explain it or himself honestly to Maurice, just assuming the text would explain everything. Clive is hard on Maurice; I'm not sure he could be any other way, as that seems to be his nature, more's the pity.

[into_the_greenwood]

Clive had come to this point theoretically, and Maurice instinctively

This really sums up part of the reason I think Clive and Maurice are so unsuited to one another. Maurice is not a great thinker, and what he admires is action. Clive, on the other hand, is all mysterious explanations through Greek writings that are far too obscure for someone like Maurice.

Even if they had got together, I think Clive would have got fed up with Maurice's lack of intellectuality, and Maurice would be pining for some physical movement in their relationship.