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Esther Kim
Jennifer Rodrick
Queer Studies 115
14 November 2016

Project Text
Its human nature to fear isolation; from the moment were born, to the moment we die,
we as a species crave affection. It doesnt matter if its a romantic or platonic connection because
at the very core of it all, social connections fulfill the initial yearning for affection. The fear of
isolation is a prominent theme within Christopher Isherwoods novel, A Single Man. The main
character, George, is a gay English professor living in California during the 1960s who struggles
with depression after the loss of his lover, Jim. Throughout the novel, George tries and fails to
stave off his loneliness by attempting to form connections with different characters. The fear of
isolation and failure go hand in hand, especially within the LGBTQ community because they are
terrified of ending up alone; a terror that is heightened by the fact that they are already a
minority. Although it is a bit morbid, the themes of isolation and failure greatly coincide with the
idea of the LGBTQ identity because it plays off of the repressed fears of identifying as LGBTQ.
The fear of isolation can cause people to over-analyze any and all social interactions.
George is a perfect example of overreading brief interactions like when Kenny Potter, a student
of his, gave him a pencil sharpener which caused the professor to blush and act as if he has been
offered a rose (Isherwood 81). This small exchange between the two characters is highly
romanticized in Georges eyes because he is over-reading the situation; he feels that this could be
a sign that Kenny is romantically interested in him. Its quite obvious that this interaction wasnt
meant to be read into as much as it was, especially since Kenny later states that he already lost

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his yellow sharpener while George held onto his red one. Angel Matos, a blogger dedicated to
reviewing works of literature, comments on how George feels as if his sexual orientation and
lack of social connections ultimately forces George to desperately read in between the lines of
each situation: His sexuality pushes him to feel a desire that is nearly impossible to quenchthus
forcing George to live vicariously through small interactions, touches, and brief exchanges that
he has with other men (Matos). I feel like this happens not only to George, but to everyone who
craves a romantic connection. Theres that feeling of hope that swells up whenever something
seems even the slightest bit romantic; I think that feeling is driven by the idea of being alone. Its
even harder for the older members of the gay community to feel like they have the opportunity to
find that connection. Yuting Pu, a design specialist from SAP Labs in Palo Alto, used her skills to
create an image that compares living situations of older LGBTQ adults with heterosexual adults.
This image highlights the stark difference between queer elders and straight elders. Its a rather
depressing truth, especially when its well known that it becomes difficult to live on your own as
you get older. People want to connect with others no matter the age, and because of that
desperation, itll seem like theres a meaningful connection when its all in your head. I feel like
it happens more often in the LGBTQ
community because there isnt a clear
indication if someone is gay, bisexual, etc.
so itll have to be through subtle actions.
However, if they get the wrong idea, the
feeling of failure and embarrassment
drives the person away from trying again
because rejection and assumption hurts.

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Throughout the book, George is constantly failing to connect with the other characters.
He fails to connect with Charley on a platonic nature, and Kenny on a romantic level. He even
fails to live happily when he dies of a heart attack in his sleep. There's this sense of failure that
follows George throughout the novel; which is something that plagues us all. George can't ever
actually achieve anything that he wants and that's a heartbreaking truth. His overwhelming sense
of failure stems from his own personal beliefs; George feels that by being a gay man, and
therefore being part of a minority actually makes life harder. He's constantly struggling, and he's
constantly putting himself down because of his own identity: He makes it overtly clear that his
nationality, his way of thinking, his sexuality, and even his age puts him in a position in which he
is minority (Matos). I think a lot of people can relate to George because in American society,
minorities are constantly dealing with this feeling of helplessness, especially with the majority
ruling over them. George goes on a tangent in the book when he describes his being a part of the
minority, and this is the only time the audience actually sees George being passionate about
something. But even though he's passionate about this issue, he reprimands himself for being so
emotional because he feels like it's embarrassing to do so. He calls himself a ...silly enthusiastic
old prof, rambling on, disregarding the clock(Isherwood 73) because he feels that by being so
passionate, he actually makes himself look like a fool in front of his students, all of which were
part of the majority. There are other minorities within his class like Lois Yamaguchi, who spent
her childhood in a Japanese internment camp, but the problem is that none of them are gay; they
may be oppressed by the majority but its a different type of oppression. At the very least, Lois
minority is actually acknowledged by the general public while everyone else tiptoes around
Georges sexual orientation. His anger and his failure to be accepted contribute to Georges sense
of isolation.

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As a whole, society can be extremely cruel because it can make individuals feel as if
theres something wrong with them. George feels as if hes ostracized by the general society
because he is gay. John Self, a blogger who reposts his book reviews onto a blog called
Asylum, talks about this feeling of isolation within his review of The Single Man. Self claims
that George nurses resentment against a society that considers him, a gay man, to be
unspeakable, a monster (Self). There has always been a stigma against the people who arent
a part of the majority whether it was for gender, race, or sexual orientation. There were times in
society where one minority faced harsher judgement than the other, but it still affected the other
groups as well. Isherwood comments on this within the book when George lectures about the
minorities and how all minorities are in competition: each one proclaims that its sufferings are
the worst and its wrongs are the blackest. And the more they all hate, and the more theyre all
persecuted, the nastier they become!(Isherwood 72). I feel like this is true especially within the
actual LGBTQ community because since there are so many different sexual identities, each
identity feels like they have the right to be the face of the LGBTQ community. Some people say
that bisexuality doesnt exist, and that people who are bisexual are either straight or gay. There
are others that say that being asexual isnt actually a sexual orientation but rather its an excuse to
be a part of the LGBTQ community without commitment. Theres just this hyper aggression that
exists within the LGBTQ community which can create a hostile environment for people who
need support that they cant get from the majority. This competitive feeling heightens the fear of
failure because if they cant be recognized by their own community, then they feel as if theyll
never be acknowledged by the general public.
Theres evidently a lot of themes within the book A Single Man but the two most
prominent themes, a fear of isolation and a fear of failure, are the ones that are the easiest to

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relate to through the LGBTQ identity. Its hard to feel accepted and its hard to feel like you can
actually find someone who you can relate to. The yearning to feel accepted stems from the fear
of isolation that drives people to develop any sort of connection even if it means to fabricate a
deeper meaning within each social interaction. If that wasnt enough, theres that hot flash of
humiliation and the twisting, piercing sensation in your chest when all of your effort comes
crashing down around you. Fear can cause anyone to become reclusive and draw back into
themselves. The book, A Single Man, is a beautiful novel that creatively and almost harshly
highlights the common human fears. I think Isherwood did an amazing job of showing the terrors
that come with identifying with the LGBTQ community.

Works Cited
Isherwood, Christopher. A Single Man. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1964. Print (Hardcover
edition).
Matos, Angel Daniel. "Connection Failed: An Analysis of Christopher Isherwoods [A Single
Man]." Web log post. The Ever and Ever That Fiction Allows. Angel Matos, 22 Jan. 2014.
Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
Pu, Yuting. Social Isolation in LGBT Older Adults. Digital image. N.p., Autumn 2015. Web. 14
Nov. 2016.
Self, John. "CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD: A SINGLE MAN." Web log post. The Asylum.
John Self, 25 Jan. 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.