Forever ‘Alone, Inside, Together?’ Isolation à deux in the Work of Rebecca Brown

Abstract

Socially isolated couples play a crucial role in the work of the contemporary lesbian author, Rebecca Brown. The majority of her heroines are trapped in the couple form, a dangerous situation given the violent character of many of these ‘love’ relations. Brown’s portrayals of the risks of becoming isolated in or as a couple may help to counter the current prioritization of the love dyad (a heterosexual trend gays and lesbians are said to follow) and the resultant lack of interest in the wider community. Brown further shows how her (closeted) antagonist characters, who affirm the centrality of the couple and retreat into their homes, actually preserve the public-private dichotomy that guarantees the constant relegation of homosexuality to the domain of the unmentionable. While Brown also depicts queer ‘families of choice,’ she points out the influence of class and income on the possibility of creating more extensive relations to escape social seclusion, thereby giving voice to the experiences of a poorer (hence, often neglected) segment of the queer population.

Keywords:

• Rebecca Brown
• social isolation
• domestic violence
• queer community
• public-private dichotomy
• families
• social class