The Theme of Sexuality in “Never Let me Go” and “Brokeback Mountain”

Sexuality throughout history has been subject to countless rules and laws, implemented by thousands of different cultures that aimed to control such a fundamental aspect of human existence. In the contemporary era, vestiges of these attempts to regulate sexuality and sexual expression still exist, whether derived from religious or other societal pressures. The significance of sexuality seems rooted in the fact that sex can result in procreation and, throughout history, has served as a hearty foundation upon which families are built.

In Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, Never Let Me Go, the subject of sexuality is a major part of the characters’ development and story. However, in this novel, the protagonists are human clones without the ability to reproduce. These clones are also isolated from typical society and are not exposed to religion or other ideologies. Conversely, in the short story “Brokeback Mountain” by Annie Proulx, sexual relationships are heavily influenced by societal norms shaped by the basic needs of their environment and lifestyle.

When sexual relationships play such a pivotal role in society, they are inevitably shaped by societal norms and customs established by the population at large. In the novel Never Let Me Go and the short story “Brokeback Mountain,” two vastly different societal environments generate contrasting societal norms regarding sexual relationships. The portrayal of sex as primarily utilitarian in “Brokeback Mountain” and the absence of generational influence in Never Let Me Go shed light on parallels between the two texts as well as real world experiences.

Sex in both texts is perceived by the main characters as both a necessity and a luxury. However, the social atmosphere in Brokeback Mountain considers sexual relationships primarily as a means to procreate. Ennis and Jack in “Brokeback Mountain” cultivate a lasting homosexual relationship, interspersed with intervals of time spent starting their own traditional families. It is inferred throughout the story that homosexual relationships are taboo and that sexual intercourse is primarily reserved for family development. The fact that both Ennis and Jack avoid identifying their relationship as homosexual and often discuss their wives and children is indicative of societal expectations deeply ingrained within them. Ennis and Jack “never talked about the sex” (6), with Jack later downplaying their sexual intimacy as “A one-shot thing. No one’s business but ours”(6) after Ennis confessed that he was not “no queer” (6).

This general hesitation to address the intimacy they appreciate with each other, yet total comfort in confessing that they both have partners competing for their affection, shows societal animosity towards sex for satisfaction – specifically, homosexual – and a more beneficial view of sex as a utility. Clearly, in order for Ennis to have kids, he had to have actually participated in some kind of sexual relation with his wife, and yet there is no discomfort in discussing that he has indeed produced offspring. This, therefore, reveals the underlying societal pressure to view sex as a utility in “Brokeback Mountain”. In “Never Let Me Go”, the Hailsham clones are confronted with the fact that they are all sterile. Since they are unable to produce children, they never received an official sexual education. When there were talks, the guardians “often tended to lump them together with discussions about the donations.”(66)

Considering that the clones in “Never Let Me Go” are not valued for much beyond their organs, there were no strict social rules that governed their private lives. Sex between the clones was frequent, unrestricted and discussed somewhat openly among them. This is a stark contrast to the relationship between Jack and Ennis in “Brokeback Mountain”. In reality, societal expectations on sexual relationships hinge much on utility initially, as in “Brokeback Mountain”. When utility is removed, it becomes a more casual human experience, as seen in “Never Let Me Go”.

One facet of societal expectations on sexual relationships that is found in “Brokeback Mountain” but not in “Never Let Me Go” is the generational impact. “Brokeback Mountain” is filled with details about parental influences on their next generation’s perceptions. Most notably, Ennis’ father gives him an experience that likely makes Ennis more averse to Jack Twist’s proposition to escape and live together. Ennis recalls a memory from his childhood when his father took him to see the remains of two ranchers suspected to be homosexual. Ennis describes seeing them “dead in a watering ditch. They’d taken a tire iron to him, spurred him up, dragged him around by his penis until it came off; just bloody pulp.”(13)

At the scene of the murder, Ennis’ father “laughed about it”(14). This scene illustrates the level of hatred towards homosexuals held by the older generation in “Brokeback Mountain”, which deeply affects the younger Ennis and leads him to never accept that he could be homosexual. “Never Let Me Go”, unlike “Brokeback Mountain”, has no parental figures, just “guardians” that provide impartial education and secular teaching. As a result, several of the boys at Hailsham “had done things with each other when they’d been younger, before they had realized what they were doing.”(76) Although later these boys would create derogatory terms for those suspected of engaging in homosexual behavior, they initially experimented without a fear of societal checks holding them accountable.

There were no social standards regulating the duplicates, particularly regarding homosexual connections. In a way, the fact that the clones developed their own social norms against homosexuality is evidence of a generational impact. However, this will never be passed down due to the reality that they will be harvested for organs. Never Let Me Go and “Brokeback Mountain” mirror real life in terms of generational influence. “Brokeback Mountain” had a strong generational impact against homosexuals, while Never Let Me Go initially had no negative connotations established towards such relationships and had to be created by the clones themselves.

Never Let Me Go and “Brokeback Mountain” can be compared and contrasted in numerous ways in terms of social influence on sexual behavior. Especially, the view of sex as an act of power in “Brokeback Mountain” and the absence of generational influences in Never Let Me Go. Both texts emphasize—in their unique ways—how social norms affect sexual behavior. Inspected together, these works can elucidate social parallels found in real life.

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