Repressive Psychosexual Desire in Jeanette Wnterson's Lighthousekeeping

Abstract

This research analyzes the repressed sexual desires of the main characters like Pew, Silver, Babel Dark and Molly in the novel Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson. The novelist has presented a commentary on the relation of modern spouse. Moreover, this research shows the dichotomy of culture and nature and its impact on the characters. Due to the dichotomy of culture and nature, their psycho-sexual desire is repressed. Their repressed sexual desires are manifested through different symbols, dreams and storytelling to each other. Specially, Babel Dark is attracted towards Molly to satisfy his sexual desire as he is not satisfied with his wife. Similarly, Pew and Silver satisfy their desire by telling erotic stories. While studying characters it is found that sexual desire plays important role in their life which they negateas well as accept. At the same, there is manifestation of the psychosexual conflict in the behaviors and characters relationship. Babel Dark, being dissatisfied with his wife, negates the sex in his external life but at the same time he accepts it in his internal life with his beloved Molly using different name and identity Mr. Lux.Silver is unmarried adolescent girl who is interested in Pew’s stories. On the other hand Pew is an old bachelor who tells erotic stories to Silver. In this way they manifest their repressed sexual desires. Longer negation or suppression of desire is destructive as it ultimately results in pitfall is the finding of this research.