Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1998. [Vol. 5.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 25)

Studies - László Dányi: Interpretations of Sexuality in William Styron's Sophie's Choice

wants to make up one unity, or entity out of these truths and he does not accept them as they are. He does not accept the diversity of these truths. It is only at the end of the novel, after Sophie's death, that Stingo learns to read Sophie's life and his own life, and tries to accept the lack of one single truth. At the beginning of the novel Stingo could be a typical modernist writer, who wants to understand the truth. When he asks Sophie about the truth in Auschwitz Sophie gives him the answer that she herself does not know the truth. She, who lived in the concentration camp, can remember things and recall memories and speak about the horrors, but perhaps it is not the truth, and she admits it to him. Eventually, Stingo finds that the analysis of his sex life provides answers to his questions on why he is sexually frustrated, but a synthesis also seems to be adequate. The synthesis is linked to sexuality and death which is not physical. The quotation here starts with an exclamation expressing the painfulness of sexual frustrations. "Oh Lord, how my balls hurt as I synthesized stormy love-making not only with Leslie but with the two other enchantresses who had claimed my passion. ... a gathering distinguished not only by its diversity but for the sense that all three were dead. ... so far as each of them concerned my life.." (SC 363). While Stingo has these dreams he is lying in bed with his father. His relationship with his father is balanced because they both respect the difference in character they have between them. Stingo makes a noise while having his wild dreams, and the father wakes up to it. He asks his son about what it was. It is very difficult for Stingo to speak about his dreams, to express what he wants to say, or perhaps it is difficult because he does not want to say anything, but he is forced to say something. Even in a relationship as close as Stingo and his father's sexuality is not an easy topic to speak about. Making words meaningless is a good way of escape for Stingo. When his father asks him about the noise he feigns drowsiness, and murmurs "something intentionally unintelligible" (SC 364). The father lying beside Stingo frustrates Stingo. He likes his father, and he affectionately loved him when he was a child, but now the father cannot satisfy Stingo's needs. They make up an antiheterosexual couple. 50