Doomed for Life: Modernist Representations of Male Homosexuality in Willa Cather's "Paul's Case" and Sherwood Anderson's "Hands".

This paper explores the personality traits and social circumstances of two gay male literary characters in the context of US small towns of early 20th century. These are Paul and Wing, protagonists of Willa Cather's short story "Paul's Case" (1905) and Sherwood Anderson's "Hands" (1916), respectively. Their unhappiness stems from the homophobic beliefs and behaviors that their respective communities hold and exert. In the case of Paul, he learns to survive by hating others back, thus viciously increasing the contempt that others feel for him. His perceived arrogance precludes him from making meaningful connections with other individuals, and, thus, he tends to live immersed in his imagination to escape a reality where he does not seem to stand a chance. In contrast, Wing holds deep feelings of tenderness for other people, but he lives in constant fear of himself, ashamed of his identity and desires, trying to stay hidden from civilization despite his genuine longing for company. I contend that both writers present the harrowing living conditions that their homosexual characters must endure, and how the absence of hope and social understanding influence the development of their personalities and self-esteem to the point of misery, isolation, and self-destruction. I discuss how both short stories demonstrate the increasing Modernist sensitivity toward what was perceived as 'outside the norm' in the early decades of the 20th century, even though homosexuality remained a taboo subject that, for the most part, could only be suggested through symbols rather than explicitly named. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]