Callejas 1

Emely Callejas
Professor Jennifer Rodrick
QS English 115
21 November 2016
A Single Man
When one thinks of the 1960s, one thinks about the King of Rock n Roll, The Civil
Rights Movement, The Vietnam War or how women aspired to fit the mold of Audrey Hepburn.
In A Single Man, by Christopher Isherwood, the author offers the audience a different
perspective of the 1960s that we have grown accustomed to. Taking place in Los Angeles,
California, a gay middle-aged professor named George constantly lives in pain, mulling over the
tragic death of his former lover, Jim. The lack of love and attention towards George, others
opinions on George, reckless distractions and feeling comfortable with other men is the causes of
Georges actions. The saying the older, the wiser doesnt relate to George because throughout
his journey, he is still desperately struggling to find his peace and happiness. However, he is
always finding himself ending with depression.
Everyone needs attention and love, whether they deny it or not. George feels the he needs
that from another man and the author shows how George is on a search to find just that no matter
the circumstances.

In A Single Man, Christmas is just around the corner and George has thoughts
about fleeing to Mexico to get away from the cheerfulness of everything. At the thought of
Christmas, George feels a chill of desperation. Maybe he'll do something drastic, take a plane to
Mexico City and be drunk for a week and run wild around the bars (Isherwood 23). Christmas
time is about spending the special moments with loved ones. Unfortunately for George, he really

Callejas 2

doesnt have anybody to spend the holidays with thus he tries to compensate for the empty void
by drinking. In an blog called Asylum, John Self comments on how George fills in his void in
hopes of finding new men. ... living alone since the death of his lover Jim in a car crash, and
consoling himself with the sight of beautiful young men (Self). In Mexico, George hoped to
find a man like Jim to give him love and affection, in spite of it being with a complete stranger.
When in need of compassion, it drives one to look for the slightest amount of human affection,
wherever it may be. In another scene, a student named Kenny bought George a pencil sharpener
as a friendly gesture but George saw it as something more. Oh, but--well, thank you! George
is actually blushing a little. It's as if he has been offered a rose (Isherwood 23). Later in the
novel, George is with his student Kenny at the bar. George brings up that he still has his
sharpener. Kenny replies that he already lost it. To Kenny, the sharpener he gifted his professor
with, had no significance to him. This portrays that Georges feelings and thoughts was just him
imaging a false fantasy between him and his student Kenny. In another blog called Connection

Failed: An Analysis of Christopher Isherwoods [A Single Man], Angel Matos talks about how
George is quite desperate for any type of attention from a man. His sexuality pushes him to feel
a desire that is nearly impossible to quenchthus forcing George to live vicariously through small
interactions, touches, and brief exchanges that he has with other men.What is clear here is that
George is a man who is starving for connection. He craves to feel part of whole, even if this
connection with the whole is momentary (Matos). George is deprived of affection from a man
so any chance he gets, he will take seize the moment and make it his own, even if it is just
thoughts or small gestures that have no affectionate relevance whatsoever.

Callejas 3

George is always facing the fear of how others perceive him. In a scene from the novel,
George looks at himself in the mirror every morning, picking out his appearance according to

how he thinks people see him. By the time it has gotten dressed, it has become he; has become
already more or less George--though still not the whole George they demand and are prepared to
recognize (Isherwood 11). George dresses the way he does because he wants to fit into peoples
ideals on how he should look. George is afraid that if he dresses differently, he will be constantly
reminded of the time he didnt dress up to the standards others placed before him. George does
not feel whole as a human being should be, as Angel Matos states that George is characterized
by being overly concerned about what other people think about him. When other characters are
talking to him, Georges mind engages in a frantic interpretive mode in which he tries to
determine what is going through the other speakers mind.therefore, is a contributing factor
that adds to Georges notions on fragmentation and the lack of wholeness in his life (Matos).

George wants to fit into a normal category, despite the fact that it would leave him feeling
demoralized. Sadly, George is forced to play the role of a college professor in A Single Man.
With the skill of a veteran he rapidly puts on the psychological make-up for this role he must
play (Isherwood 41). George is very used to playing the role for the reason that people have
standards they expect him to reach. Angel Matos also states His role, as he sees it, is to keep
calm and carry on.Yet when he approaches another day of his lecturing job as putting on the
psychological makeup for this role he must play (Matos). This supports the idea of George
being forced into the role because even though he seems calm and collective on the outside, it is
only due to the fact he is used to it. Negative atmospheres did have a great affect on Georges
life, which led him to be unhappy with himself by the cause of never overcoming his insecurities.

Callejas 4

Although George constantly fears judgement from other characters, he manages to find a
place where he feels comfortable. In a scene where George goes to the gym on an unusual day,
he finds himself feeling at peace. How delightful it is to be here. If only one could spend one's
entire life in this state of easygoing physical democracy. Nobody is bitchy here, or ill-tempered,
or inquisitive (Isherwood 109). George finally finds an environment where frankly, people
dont care who you are; you are one of them for a moment. In Asylum, John Self writes that for a
moment, George isnt thinking about suicidal thoughts while he secretly challenges Webster.
George gets his fix of death-denial in the gym, panting in both senses as he challenges a
teenager to sit-ups (Self). George doesnt face judgement while he is at the gym working out,
people see him as just George. The gym is somewhere where
George doesnt have to act the part. One could imagine
George as the cartoon shown and that it depicts his daily
notion. In this picture you see a man who has to disguise
himself by switching from mask to mask to please people.
While George is at the gym, he doesnt have to switch
anything about him. George faces a tremendous amount of
opinions from people on the daily basis, but him working out at the gym gives him a sort of
acceptance which gives him a reason to go to the gym where George doesnt have to put on a
mask.
George is known to drink heavily, do reckless things and to doze off while driving
because it acts a temporary escape for him. When driving on the freeway, George feels relaxed.
And George, like a master who has entrusted the driving of his car to a servant, is now free to

Callejas 5

direct his attention posture elsewhere. As they sweep over the crest of the pass, he is becoming
less and less aware of externals--the cars all around, the dip of the freeway ahead, the Valley
with its homes and gardens opening below (Isherwood 36). George lets his body go in
automatic while he relaxes and enjoys the ride. Angel Matos states that George does this to do as
he pleases. George undergoes experiences that separate his thoughts from the actions that his
body partakes inalmost as if his body were engaging in auto-pilot mode, leaving the pilot of his
consciousness free to do and think whatever he please (Matos). Even in the uncommon spaces,
George finds a way to distract himself from his problems. George often gets drunk to take his
mind off of things and he ends up swimming naked with his student Kenny. The last remaining
minim of George's caution is aware of the lights and the possibility of cruise cars and cops, but
he doesn't hesitate, he is no longer able to; this dash from the bar can only end in the water. He
strips himself clumsily, tripping over his pants (Isherwood 162). He was very much aware of
the consequences but he didnt care because he felt young; like he belonged somewhere. A
blog called Vishys Blog writes an article named Book Review No.28 A Single Man by
Christopher Isherwood. The writer who goes by the pen name Vishy, talks about drinking is a
good distraction for George. But George is drunk in a good way, and one that he seldom
achieves (Vishy). Vishy states he doesnt get drunk to cause problems, but it helps George with
his self-esteem. George distracts himself because he knows that those place is where he can find
his true self.
George shapes his identity in many forms like distractions, the need of affection from a
man, being himself in a judge free environment and by shaping his identity to form others
standards. Although, in A Single Man ends with George dying in his sleep, one can interpret this

Callejas 6

as his mind finally being set free or finally reuniting with Jim. Most of his life, George was part
of a minority and continues to talk about the majority being a better and desirable place, that he
longs to be there. No matter what George did throughout his life, he ended up in the way anyone
would want to; a peaceful death with a smile on his face. The night George passes away, he finds
himself with clarity on why his life opened up a pathway in which led to his very last moments.
Although George died with hopes of finding another Jim, he learned that Jims death is in the
past. The past should be left with the past and to continue with lifes journey and live every
moment as if it was the last.

Callejas 7

Works Cited Page

How to Make People Feel Comfortable Around You. Digital image. WikiHOW. Google Images,
n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.

Isherwood, Christopher. A Single Man. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 2001. Print.

Matos, Angel Daniel. "Connection Failed: An Analysis of Christopher Isherwoods [A Single

Man]." The Ever and Ever That Fiction Allows. N.p., 22 Jan. 2014. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.

Self, John. "Christopher Isherwood: A Single Man." Asylum. N.p., 25 Jan. 2010. Web. 15 Nov.
2016.

Vishy. "Book Review No.28 A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood." Vishy's Blog.
Wordpress, 15 Oct. 2010. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.