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Alusine Kabba
Professor Rodrick
QS 115 2:00
17 November 2016
A Single Man
A single man, a novel by Christopher Isherwood is a 1964 novel set in southern
California in 1962 in which its main character George; a middle aged gay college literature
professor endures a grave stage of his life where he is to realize that his former partner (Jim) is
long past and should eventually move on. Each character throughout the novel goes through the
same conflict of having a sense of belonging, but because we witnessed the story in George's
point of view we noticed his emotions towards everyone else's. Because George has lost his
loved one he feels as though he has lost his identity. In the 1960s there is no sense of expressing
yourself due to appropriation which made it harder for George to then explore and shape his own
identity. Throughout the novel we learned that because of the issue of appropriation each
character must shape their identities in different ways to stay within the boundaries of what was
right to finally feel like they belonged.
Because of Jim's death George's attitude toward his own identity, toward sex, and toward
sexual orientation has changed drastically. He of course knows who he is but does not
acknowledge who he is anymore without Jim. His goal throughout the novel is to find someone
to talk to to just make life easier on him and help him feel like he belongs because without Jim
he feels worthless. This depression takes over him and spirals throughout the novel. He is always
in search for someone who could possibly take Jim's place until he eventually runs into one of
his students, Kenny. As like George, Kenny is in need of discovering and finding himself but not

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in the way you think. I believe Kenny's personal issues get converted into a conversation with
George which gets misinterpreted by him. Because of Kenny's personal and relationship issues
with his father he seeks for any attention from a father like figure. George's interpretation on
their encounter goes from a professional aspect to an inappropriate aspect to and even awkward
persona between the two of them, but I believe that is how Kenny shapes his own identity. He is
a need for someone to guide and support and help him lead into the right direction and that is
why I believe he chose George. Kenny's identity is somewhat suspicious and has me questioning
whether he is speaking through his emotions or speaking through personal experience. He gives
off a flirtatious outlook on everything and the merely confuses George whether he is coming on
to him or he's just having a conversation. "I don't believe you're that much interested whether I
marry Lois or not. I think you want to ask me something different. Only your not too sure how
I'll take it... this is getting positively flirtiny, on both sides. Kenny's blanket, under the relaxing
influence of the talk and a beer, I slipped, bearing an arm and a shoulder and turning itself into a
Classical Greek garment, the chlamys worn by the young disciple the favorite, Surley of
some philosopher. At this moment he utterly, dangerously charming... you want to know if Lois
and I - if we make out together"( Location 1823) his outlook on everything just has the audience
reading questioning whether he is or not interested in George In a sexual matter or a professional
matter. He must possibly know that George is a gay man and I believe he seek support from
George as a father figure and a gay man to help him find his own identity. He shapes his own
identity while figuring out George's because he tries to get on the new comfort level with him so
they could be honest and communicate to each other easily and freely as they can.
George's identity relies on trust, on Kenny's truck because he has too much to hold onto
that he can't lose by just telling everyone who and how he is. If Kenny were to come to George

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as a student and not as a friend type there wouldn't have been a misinterpretation between the
two of them. From the moment Kenny brought him the pencil sharpener he felt less and for
tacious of you, "as if he has been offered a rose"(81). George's views on his own identity needed
help from another. For him to identify himself in anyway I believe he just need someone by his
side. He does this because he has had gym in his life for a very long time and with him not there
it is as if he has lost a part of him self in someway. Because George is missing his loved one so
much he seeks for another gym I like to help him throughout his struggles and that is why he
fines Kenny. George is looking for someone to talk to about anything. With Kenny and George's
life it makes him realize who he is even more, noticed what he is doing, and enjoy whatever time
she still has on this earth.
Christopher Isherwood novels were always in the way a description of himself. "His
fiction was always a transistorized reorganization oh his own self"(Mccrum). An article feed
called TheGaurdian speaks of how the novel came to be and how it relates to Isherwood's
lifestyle and personal outlook on identity. Mccrum explains how Isherwood's "Fictional persona"
became progressively complex but yet truer to himself. The character George's emotions,
personality Innoway, and identity is yet deeply connected to the author. Isherwood even shaved
his own identity through his own nothing and that goes to show how impact in this novel is
toward the topic identity.
There is a film based off of this novel that runs in the same way of the novel. We all
know that the movies arent going to be exactly the same as the novel because it is off of how the
reader perceives it as; so the director and how he would visualize the scenes within the novel to
look like. The link down below shows how the actor who portrayed Kenny Nicholas Hoult,in the
film noticed the importance of Gay identity throughout the topic. He explains that through his

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character Kenny he has learned that a connection with another is what bonds George and Kenny
together and that forms their identity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4LN9b4klqA
Colin Marshall writer/blogger explained on how his identity related to Georges as well through
sexual orientation, nationality, professional interest etc. hes never really related to a book
character as much as this one, I actually feel more resonance with George than I have with most
other literary characters, especially the ones crafted to share my age, nationality, professional
interests, time period, or sexual orientation. This novels strong influence on identity weather it
be a good influence or bad with some scenes mentioned it has a strong meaning towards those
who relate somehow. Marshall moves on by saying how this one fantasy is a reality for others
though it be set in this time period it really expresses the importance of identity and speaks to
those who might have issues with their own identity.
Identity is one of the main many topics throughout the novel
and is really spoken through each and every one of the characters.
Either sexual identity or relationship status or even just trying to figure
yourself out, each character really comes out and expresses that.
Though this time zone really kind of affected the message from
coming out clearer, the understanding of what was going on was
spoken through emotions and depth of each characters personal issues
and honestly showed how no one is perfect and that even if you are gay you are still hit with
reality and live in the moment. Each character shaped their identities in different ways and I
believe Isherwoods idea/method of that proved how difficult it could be for everyone and not
even just those who are not straight. Though this novel was organized in a gay mans perspective

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this novel was made for anyone who may be going on with the same issues because at the end
we are all the same and we are all human. This novel spoke to me in a very influential way
because at a time and even sometime now I do have identity issues and dont know haw to solve
them. But I overall enjoyed this novel very much and would recommend because it was such a
good, influential topic and a good read in general. Its only the beginning and soon you will find
yourself, you do belong and that is all that matters.

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Works Cited
A Single Man. 1964. Colin Marshall. By Vintage Isherwood. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
/.latest_citation_text
Marshall, Colin. "Christopher Isherwood: A Single Man." Colin Marshall. N.p., 23 May 2011.
Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
Isherwood, Christopher. A Single Man. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 2001. Print.
McCrum, Robert. "The 100 Best Novels: No 83 A Single Man by Christopher
(1964)." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 20 Apr.

Isherwood

2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.

/.latest_citation_text
Rettenmund, Matthew. "Nicholas Hoult A SINGLE MAN: On the Importance of Gay Identity in
the Film." YouTube. YouTube, 07 Dec. 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
/.latest_citation_text