Invisible Life Critical Analysis, Background of the Novel - 275 Words

Invisible Life: Critical Analysis, Background of the Novel (Essay Sample) Content: Invisible Life: Critical Analysis 1 Introduction and Background of the NovelInvisible Life is a novel written by E. Lynn Harris and sheds light on the concept of Homosexuality amongst the African-American individuals living in a contemporary American society (Lynn Harris). The novel discusses the rising phenomenon along with the essence of self-discovery of ones own sexual origin with a story in which the main character Raymond Winston Tyler Jr. who is an African-American guy working in a white dominated work place (Lynn Harris). Thestory of the young mans choice between a successful career in Law, smart girlfriends and bisexual desire to choose between the people he keeps on meeting. Moreover, the novel projects the bisexuality as a choice for selecting partners one thinks is correct for him along with representation of the ethnicity which is stereotyped in the society and so was the case of Raymond while portraying his ethnic orientation got a bit difficult, the rep resentation of sexual orientation was tougher. As per the author, the character was completely indulged in his life with his future in studying law and a smart and gorgeously attractive girlfriend Sela, when the transformation that he had not expected took place and his life changed as a whole. One acquaintance namely Kelvin, he just met during school years turned out to be the perfect choice Ffor fulfilling his sexual desires and making him discover himself. Finally Raymond graduated and entered the professional aspect of life and his hidden desires got lost. With a lot of people meeting him every day, he found his homosexual desires awakening and the indecisiveness between the gendersto fulfill the sexual needs. In addition to this, when fleeing far from the homeland didnt work, he returned to New York and encountered with a dear friends illness and death which led him to face the truth of life and the narrow escape of desires. The book is provides an insight into the heart of the characters and soul on their way to self-discovery. As per the authors it shows the variance and unpredictability of life of an individual of a society who is struggling to get recognized in terms of the ethnicity and sexual orientation (Frieden 73-90).It is however noteworthy that the story has multiple aspects that involve the representation of bisexual orientation for the liberalization in terms of the ethnic and sexual rights of the African-American gay population. However, the main moral of the story revolves the dimensions of life including love, death and self-awareness while maintaining the sexual and ethnic orientation (Lynn Harris). 2 Critical ReviewThe article has been reviewed in the context of pornography due to its style and the written language including the lack of moral judgment passed on the phenomenon of homosexuality amongst the African-American men. Furthermore the indulgence of pornography in bisexual gay males of color is discussed in the negation of the lite rature produced by Lynn Harris by the name of Invisible Life. As per (Jackson1095-1112) the statement produced as an argument that relates to the pornographic discourse while maintain the bisexual origin along with the ethnic representation of being male individual in the society which is not agreeable to the subject of the novel by Lynn Harris. Moreover, the style of character depiction is done on through pornography which is criticized by various researches and prior studies.Source #1:Frieden, Lisa. "Invisible lives: Addressing black male bisexuality in the novels of E. Lynn Harris."Journal of Bisexuality2.1 (2001): 73-90.The source stated that thenovel Invisible Life is a representation of black male with bisexuality and more complex connections between the sexual orientation and the behavior associated with it(Frieden 73-90). Moreover, the study keenly observes the sexual identity of the men of color within their social norms and the societal values. In addition to this, the res earch further describes how the publication of gay literature has affected their bisexual/homosexual behavior and lifestyle in the contemporary society.However, the author argues that the novel of Harris negated the bisexual originalitiesin the favor of black gay identities and restricted them to the homosexual behavior and lifestyle choice (Frieden 73-90). Moreover, the social acceptance of the pornographic activities in the black gay males might be considered unacceptable amongst certain ethnicities (Jackson1095-1112).Additionally, the author reveals that the novel literature of Lynn Harris has not shown the pornographic behavior directly but certain aspects of the behavior depicted by the characters can be classified as pornographic (Frieden 73-90). According to the authors the study has also explained the detailed aspects of pornographic discourse that is attempted by the bisexual/homosexual individuals of the society. Furthermore, the article discusses the characters in the nov el of Harris and their behavior and lifestyle patterns of the homosexual black men in the contemporary society in accordance with the values and believes of the sexual orientation awareness which is readily accepted amongst the community. This however supports the evidence that the bisexual behavior of the black gay individuals may be pornographic and might be unacceptable in the society (Frieden 73-90).Source#2:Corneau, Simon, and Emily van der Meulen. "Some Like It Mellow: On Gay Men Complicating Pornography Discourses." Journal Of Homosexuality 61.4 (2014): 491-510. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.The bounties of globalization are the distances that are getting closer and the human lifestyle is going towards new patterns of the sexual orientations that were not discussed in the previous era (Corneau, Simon, and Emily van der Meulen491-510). As per Lynn Harris the gay male pornography is a contemporary lifestyle and is getting relatively common in the in the modern worl d. The authors argue on the challenges of the existence of the gay porn. Moreover, the fact there is certain sentiments that describe the phenomenon of pornography. As per authorsthe sentiments such as anti-pornography and post-pornography explain the values of being a bisexual gay individual(Corneau, Simon, and Emily van der Meulen; 491-510). As per Lynn Harris the anti-pornography values condemn the bisexual activities in black gay males and the post pornographic attitudes also define the extremities of bisexual and homosexual attitude in the black gay males. Similarly, the values that argue upon the bisexual activities used for pleasure seeking andfulfillment of necessities differ in nature. Thus skipping between the partners of multiple genders describes the pleasure seeking purpose of the intentions which includes pornography (Corneau, Simon, and Emily van der Meulen, 491-510). Hence this describes that the study is directed towards the statement that bisexual gay male activit ies described by Lynn Harris are not directly directed towards being pornographic discourse in nature but there are certain aspects that describe the sexual behavior of the characters which can be labeled as being pornographic.Source #3:Breen, Margaret Soenser. "Radclyffe Hall, E. Lynn Harris, and Franz Kafka: Christianity, queerness, and the politics of normalcy."International Journal of Sexuality and Gender Studies6.4 (2001): 293-304.The representation of the literature by Hall, Lynn Harris and Kafka is discussed in the context of the pursuit of pornography is the existing gay literature. Moreover, (Breen293-304)has criticized that the author Lynn Harris explained that the character Raymond has not exhibited any behavior of such kind which involves the pornographic discourse in the sexual activities. However, the (Breen293-304)has further stated that the author has tried to explain the struggle of the American-African male individuals to seek the phenomenon of American Dream which is not understandable by many of the members of the society but holds great importance in the progressive lives of those individuals who aim for it (Breen293-304). The American Dream for the further understanding is the national ethos of US where the set of ideal factors such as; democracy, rights, liberty, equality and opportunity in which the social mobility for each and every member of the society is granted (Breen293-304). Thus the races of black homosexual gay individuals are also in pursuit of achieving the American Dream so as to register their ethnicity and sexual orientation in the society. In addition to this, the two books Invisible Life and Just as I Am by Lynn Harris and the book by Franz Kafka named The Metamorphosis, emphasize on the growing trend of black gay males who are opting for the right choice they make and hence the other factor are not as important as the others in seeking the gender roles and activities. The literature of Kafka, Hall and Harris has also be en praised and used in the contemporary policy making for the transgender individuals (Breen293-304).Source#4:Bronski, Michael. "Spirits in the material world."Gay publishing, pornography and the gay male. Radical America18.4 (1984): 21-29.Another important aspect for the sexual shaming on the basis of displaying the pornographic discourse in the homosexual and bisexual orientation of the black male individuals of the society is discussed in this critical study by MichaelBronski(Bronski21-29). Much later after the proposition of this study and other homosexual/bisexual research by Bronski, President Obama had declared the legalization of the LGBT marriage equality and ended all the stereo types of the society. However, as perthe gay porn market has lucrative profitability ...