Last month I wondered whether Catherine Cookson was kinky because of the suggestive nature of some of her titles. Earlier this week I discovered some kinky goings-on in The Invitation but, I'm sad to say, Catherine was very disapproving of it.
In an early chapter, Sam, the eldest son and his wife Arletta are having marital troubles. It seems she is always in the bath because of his sexual proclivities. She's trying to wash that man right out of her hair! The chapter concludes with Sam begging for sex that's "natural", not like the other kind. Hmmm.
In a later chapter Arletta confesses to Paul, Sam's younger brother, that she plans to run away and divorce Sam because of abuse. She gives no explanation but says her lawyer knows all the details.
Much later, Arletta's plan to escape is foiled by Sam, and when Sam's mother comes to see why Arletta has not come to see her as arranged, she finds Arletta naked and tied to the bed, while Sam flourishes a whip. The "unnatural" activity that Sam enjoys is flagellation, both giving and receiving. Horrors! But was it consensual? Although Arletta didn't seem to enjoy it, she had gone along with
it for several years.
Cookson makes sure that all her characters voice this proclivity as beyond the pale. Even homosexuality can be excused, but not whipping. The explanation for Sam's preference is that it is a punishment because he was conceived out of wedlock and his father was forced to marry his mother. Sam eventually commits suicide.
Cookson's characters are always narrow-minded and very un-PC, but she lived in a different age, and her stories usually take place in an earlier time. Still, I'm very disappointed in you, Catherine.
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7 comments:
Dull, vanilla people, who struggle to rationalize kinky activities, always tend to take this approach. I think it makes them feel better about their boring selves. In fact the "kinkster as damaged goods" theme is SO prevalent that any other depiction is rare to non-existent. Name one mainstream story, movie, etc., where the kinky person in it is shown as otherwise normal and just attuned to a different aspect of personal gratification?
But it's OK. I think it might be getting better.
Learning to deal with sexuality during adolescence and puberty and beyond, is so challenging for many of us. It is more difficult if one's proclivities are outside the "norm". Figuring it out was a difficult for me.
has the internet been available when I was a child, hopefully the diversity of interests would have made it easier for me. But I am so grateful to my wife Irene for never making me feel weird. She has joined me in some kinks and led the exploration in some areas and declined to pursue a few ideas. But Irene has always been open minded not to mention sexy and fun.
Everyone should be as lucky as I.
A pox on the stupid author.
-Rosco
Hi Hermione,
Interesting, what a pity Catherine portrayed kink the way she did. People are influenced by what they read. I haven't read her books.
Hugs
Roz
I haven't read any of her books and reading what you say about her characters I don't think I would. Thanks for sharing.
Love,
Ronnie
xx
KDPierre: 50 Shades comes to mind, and that was written in what we hope would be the age of enlightenment.
Rosco - You are indeed lucky, as are all of us who have understanding partners.
Roz - My ex reacted the same way to my love of spanking, and he had never read any of her books!
Ronnie - The television adaptations of her books are actually very good, if you like period drama. But the books tend to be repetitive in their themes and characters.
Hugs,
Hermione
Hermione: In what way did you mean 50 shades? If I'm not mistaken I believe Gray was presented as a somewhat damaged person?
Anne Rice's characters (other than the fairy-tale "Beauty") are always presented as somewhat damaged and have to heal themselves towards a more normal style of sexuality.
In Secretary, the protagonist is a cutter.
O is pretty pathetic.
The list goes on.
KD - I was responding to your final sentence "it might be getting better" with an example of how it was NOT getting any better, but didn't make myself clear. I agree with you that kinksters are always portrayed as damaged.
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