Resistance to Heterosexual Normativity in Highsmith’s The Price of Salt

Abstract

Patrica Highsmith's novel The Price of Salt is a lesbian narrative with two major characters Carol and Therese. This novel is about the homosexual relationship between the two female characters with the different age bar. Nineteen years old Therese and Carol, an already married woman met in the departmental store during the Christmas season. They both involve in physical relationship by challenging the contemporary society and the court too. This thesis has been accomplished by drawing theoretical support from Lesbianism. This research intends to interrogate the critique of rationale and relevance of heterosexual normativity. The lesbian novels advocate for the alternative way to understand sex. The title also represents the symbolic meaning that evokes the meaning of sacrifice of Carol and Therese for their identity and freedom. They strongly fight against western patriarchal society presenting sexual relation and phenomena to claim that homosexuality should be a part of the society. Carol and Therese sacrifice love, marriage, family and children for the shake of their personal discovery and identity. Thus, this thesis explores that not only heterosexual but also all other relations such as homosexual are equally important for the betterment of the society.