Book Discussion Chapters 12 - 15

[into_the_greenwood]

The first three of the chapters up for discussion this week deal with Clive and Maurice's relationship at Cambridge, whilst the fourth chapter deals with the aftermath Maurice faces at home – from both his own family and his interfering yet unhelpful neighbour, Dr Barry.

Chapter 12 gives us some insight to the mind of Clive – what has he been thinking all this time, what are his motivations and desires. It is within this chapter that we learn that he has sincerely believed from the start that his relationships with other men must 'never become carnal'. This belief is perhaps what comes between the two men, as Clive refuses to countenance anything other than the platonic, taking his inspiration from Plato, whereas Maurice is desperate for something more. Since Maurice has not had years of mulling to do about being homosexual, he has avoided coming to the kind of unhelpful and unhealthy conclusions that cause Clive so much angst. At the end of this chapter we find ourselves where Ch 11 ended – Maurice coming through the window to declare his love for Clive, a physical action repeated later in the book by Alec.

Chapter 13 is the recounting of Maurice and Clive's one glorious day together – never experienced previously, and never to be repeated. In it, Maurice once again shows his physicality by riding the motorbike hard. He crashes and they leave the bike to be collected and repaired somehow by, one presumes, the invisible working class, before being returned to its owner. Neither seems bothered and both are sure that it will be fixed up with no problem.

In Chapter 14, Maurice is unfairly sent down, and it is intimated that this is because the college dons saw a romance developing between him and Clive. Since Maurice has no particular merits, whereas Clive is their 'best Classical scholar', he must suffer a punishment whilst Clive does not.

Chapter 15 sees the return of Dr Barry. After receiving censure from his mother and sisters, Maurice is faced with the wrath of his neighbour, a man who has so far proved singularly unhelpful to Maurice so far. In his interactions with his family, he seems to return to his old snobbish attitudes, where his brain returns to sleep and he acts like he is expected to act, and how he did when he was much younger.


Some questions about the chapter:

*Does the insight into Clive's way of thinking reinforce the idea of his and Maurice's fundamental unsuitability for each other? Do you think Clive could have ever come round to a different way of thinking? What would have been the results if Clive had not come to this conclusion – would they be any different to what does happen or would Penge and his duty towards the family and the estate always dictate how far he could go with his homosexuality. In other words, no matter what conclusions Clive came to, was there relationship doomed because of circumstance, never mind anything else?

*Do you think the crash in Ch 13 a metaphor for Clive and Maurice's relationship?

*What do you think the significance is of Clive stepping of the dyke and going under, whilst Maurice strips and happily swims?

*Of their day together, what do you think Forster means by giving them such a lovely day, then splitting them apart directly afterwards?