Closeted: The Bent People

Class: Theory and Criticism
Joel Pace
December 18th 2008

Outline
Prologue

Questions: How does exile exist with in these two dramas in comparison? What, if anything, do they tell us about the human condition?

Introduction:
Bent:
Functions of Exile
Being Gay during WWII
Exile from One's Self

V for Vendetta:
Exile in Retribution
Similarities in Story
Treatment of Gays in V for Vendetta
Conclusion
Epilogue

Prologue
First, an explanation to the title: previously in this class (Theory and Criticism) I wrote a thirty odd page paper on the prospects history and disfranchisement of homosexuals for the last century which included a review in comparison of Martin Sherman's Bent and V for Vendetta. Feeling it necessary to expand and simplify the paper (more so expand and explain in more precision the function of the paper) I am writing an addendum that will hopefully clarify parts two and three of that paper (and ultimately replace it in a later revision of the whole paper).
Also, I think it only fair to define exilation or the act and state of being exiled, before touching further on this very subject. I see this as necessary, even though I know that the very nature of exilation is far heavier in connotation than what the definition of any dictionary or thesaurus could provide. The very point of this paper is to determine just what exile is in relation to homosexuality, but also to any person for what ever reason it is deployed against them. Exile: To banish or separate from (one's home, a pleasant or endeared place or association); to devastate, ravage, bring to ruin. (OED.com)
With this definition, I will refer many times to exilation in both forms, as it would seem to me, they are interchangeable.

Both Bent and "V for Vendetta" deal with the tyranny of totalitarianism, where the control of one person or government exceeds the natural boundaries and rights of their people. Totalitarianism is not limited to that of governments, but can be the basis of many peoples' personal and socially held beliefs. Such dogmas founded in belief and faith of a religion, social order, or through personal disregard can relegate the very rights people should have, did have, or want. The Nazi regime (the main protagonist in Bent) was a totalitarianistic government, as is the government portrayed in "V for Vendetta". From this comes the exhibition of exile of people that do not fit that totalitarianism..

Max, the main character in Bent exiles himself by defying his family's wishes. Lois Kerschen's review of Bent delves briefly into this, she says "Although Max does not appear to have any crusading or noble intent, he nonetheless has defied his family to be true to himself, even if it means being disowned." Max's family has a totalitarian view of what should be. His uncle is clear on how the family views homosexuality. Ryan McDaniel who played Max stated, "Uncle Freddie, he represents the closed mindedness of the closeted gay. He represents what people were 'supposed to be'. And is a barrier between Max and salvation." (Ryan McDaniel Interview). By defying the notion of marrying and paying for "boys on the side", Max had already entered a state of exilation. However, it must also be clear that he would be exiled as well had he submitted to their will. Had he submitted, he would be confined to the will of the family, and would be removed from his own will and own choices. When Max is finally captured, he resolves to pretending to be Jewish to escape the poor existence of gays in the concentration camp, this too is a form of exile. Although Max denies his sexuality, which is denying himself, to escape the exile gays face in the concentration camp, "in his own mind he has sunk to the very lowest level of humanity." (Kerschen).
In Petruso's review of Bent, he describes Max as unable to "stand to be alone and not have some sort of homosexual relationship." The very nature of exilation is to be alone, cast aside. Max fears exile, separation from the people he cares for even if that care only "serves his own agenda." (Petruso) Exile is a primary drive and source of distress for many people, but even more so with people, such as the GBLTSQ community who are already dismissed and diminished for their alternative sexuality. Anthony Martinelli made a strong point in his review of Bent, "Sherman dramatizes an important and often overlooked point - that homosexuals were also victimized by Nazis." Even in the annals of history are homosexuals exiled and "overlooked". "Although countless books have been published about the persecution of Jews, there is only a limited number of works written on the suffering of homosexuals during the Holocaust". (Martinelli)

Max and Rudy in Bent flee their home, exiled from Germany by the Nazi regime, because they were gay. Max is exiled from his family, exiled from himself, and for the entirety of the play he has been exiled. He only finds redemption in this exilation in the end, when he finally expresses his love for Horst. "Horst's persistence eventually pounds home the message that love is, in fact, essential to survival." (Martinelli). This is why Max commits suicide in the end, his love for Horst, and the exile he faces without him. The very nature and term closeted is a form of exile. Openness of being gay or out of the closet only produces a new form of exile. Where before people did not know of the person's sexuality, and thus accepted them into the society, by coming out people deject homosexuals (and other alternative sexualities). It is an exchange of exiles. When present day anti-gay arguments are presented, often the argument separates what is socially accepted into two parts. Man and woman. Two parts of a whole, and though this may be true to some extent, for man and woman are made to be reproducers of the race, as is any other creature, that does not mean that to be whole a person needs another of the opposite gender. As Max shows that he was not whole with out Horst, and could not bear to live with in the confines of the prison, so too cannot the gay bi lesbian queer transgender straight community live with in the prison of the social norm of ideals. Bent exemplifies not only the social state of homosexuality during WWII, but the state in which the same community lives now. Though the GBLTQS community has become more open, and less afraid to be open, the same problems and sentimentality still exist that led to the imprisonment and deaths of thousands of gay people in WWII. As a reflection Bent is truly a strong prognosticator of the current state of social norms.
Exile is a reality for many people, and in that reality it can take many forms.
Finding solace, happiness, acceptance, or even love with in that reality is a difficult task, dangerous, and for the most part nigh impossible. In Bent Max finds this even in the most adverse form of exile. In "V for Vendetta" a similar situation takes place. V for Vendetta

Prognosticator: a soothsayer or a predictor (oed.com)
In the simplest terms the movie V for Vendetta and the graphic novel on which it was based is a prognosticator. It is a truth teller and reflection of our current times. There is no surprise that there is a great abundance of similarities between Bent and V for Vendetta, as they both impart a zeitgeist from which they are born.
V for Vendetta exhibits a future of maniacal governmental control. Where the principles of human uniqueness are turned into being "differences are wrong". As it was in Nazi Germany, where to be anything but the "master race" was to be locked away, enslaved, and ultimately killed. The principle parallels between Bent and V for Vendetta are simple. They both share a totalitarianistic government controlled by a dictator with ultimate power, who cowers behind that power. A man with absolute power, that created laws that make it illegal to be anything, but a "god fearing man", and only so in the right way. In fact the very way people were persecuted in WWII, are the same with the people who are persecuted in V for Vendetta.
One could discuss the function of exile as a theme and main motif in V for Vendetta by examining the mask V wears, or the Wizard of Oz imagery of High Chancellor Sutler. It could be discussed on the matter of social exile of the people in lieu of the control exerted by the government. All of which parallel the very notions on which they were drawn from; WWII and the Hitler regime. It could be argued that the Night of Long Knives is a metaphor sot fit for the main character V, acting in vengeance and exile in his own right. But these are notions, arguments not with held for the more subtle, and exacting. Two characters are encountered in the film, both of whom are gay. The first is Gordon Deitrich, the main television personality of "the most top rated show in Britain". This character parallels V in such a way that he becomes unique. Deitrich wears a mask, not one of solid steel that mimics guy fox, but that of a well mannered denizen, who is expected to "entertain young ladies". He like V hides his true nature, so well that he even says himself, "when you were a mask for too long, you begin to forget who you were beneath it." Deitrich is in exile, from himself and from those he wants to be with (desires sexually and intimately). His mask of civil servitude is what defines his exile, is fugitive nature. Deitrich says to Evey Hammond (the main character who has been helping V) that "if [the finger men] were to search his house, she would be the least of his worries."

Edward W. Said states in his article Reflections on Exile "Exiles feel...an urgent need to reconstitute their broken lives, usually by choosing to see themselves as part of a triumphant ideology or a restored people."(Page 177, CH) Deitrich has placed himself with in the hierarchy of the Sutler Regime exemplified in V for Vendetta. In doing so, he is seeking this piece of the puzzle that he can claim as his own, that fits into the function of the regime. Even if he excludes his real self into the depths of a hidden room where he contains what he really is.
The reason for Dietrich's reclusion, and venial mask, is seen more clearly when we are introduced to the second gay character, Valerie. Valerie was a lesbian, who was born as she says in the movie "in 1985, I don't remember much from them, just the rain. My grandmother said that God was in the rain." She discovered her sexuality at a young age, had her first girlfriend at the age of ten. Was yelled at for it and ultimately, later in her life, came out to her parents, who dejected her. The beginning of her exile was not in the form of rejection, but the simple fact that people denied her sexuality as "a phase children go through." Of course the fact remains that her family did ultimately reject her. She began acting in 2015, "it was the most important role of my life, not because of the acting, but because I met Ruth, and from the moment we first kissed, I knew I wanted no other lips to touch mine." In exile she found happiness, with Ruth. But as power and greed corrupted their home they became exiled as again. "They took Ruth while she was out buying food. I've never cried so hard in my life. It wasn't long till they came for me." (Valerie). When comparing Bent and V for Vendetta the treatment of gay people is unfathomably remiss. Though V for Vendetta takes place in the future, set in 2038, it carries with it the same sentiment seen in Bent. "The point I am trying to make can be summed up in the useful notions of worldliness. By linking works to each other we bring them out of the neglect and secondariness to which for all kinds of political and ideological reasons they have previously been condemned." (Said, page 196) Valerie experiences the same kind of exile that Max undergoes. Captured and detained in a prison camps, used for research, and ultimately left to die. Valerie declares simply, "it seems strange that my life should end in such a terrible place, but for three years I had roses and apologized to no one. I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish. Every inch, but one. An inch. It is small and it is fragile and it is the only thing in the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away. We must NEVER let them take it from us. I hope that whoever you are, you escape this place. I hope that the worlds turns, and that things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that, even though I do not know you, and even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you, I love you. With all my heart, I love you. Valerie." Max in this same sense, in his declaration of love for Horst, defies his capturers. She like, Max, declares her love, though it may not have been as personal, may not have been in the same depth as Max's, for he loved Horst almost directly. It is in the same respect, same notion of fugitive companionship and proximity that she declares it. Exiles "may share in the solitude and estrangement of exile..." (Said, page 181 CH) Evey, is imprisoned after Gordon Deitrich is taken by the finger men, by V, who uses the time to give Evey the chance to live without fear. When Evey learns that her imprisonment was not what she thought, she felt everything was fake, she could not feel anything. Yet Evey learns Valerie and Ruth were real, when she learns V had been the one to interact with Valerie, imprisoned. Valerie and Ruth, they are the sacrificial lambs that carry Evey and V towards what needs to be done. Valerie and Ruth, Max and Rudy, V and Valerie, Max and Horst, all eventualities in the destruction of what does not fit into the moral code of religious piety; the parallels here are the true matter. Valerie and Max are as similar as Ruth and Rudy. V and Max are just as similar as Valerie and Horst. As Max loses Rudy on the prisoner train, Valerie loses Ruth, who is taken first. Valerie loves V for his correspondence, being their next to her. They helped each other survive, as did Max for Horst. Horst dies imprisoned, as does Valerie. And both Max and V became the martyr. Both act in reverence and resistance to their manipulators and ultimately die for their cause.

The question now remains, what constitutes Valerie's dispossession, Max's ostracism, as exile. Exile, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, is too rudimentary, too simple, to understand the very depth at which it fits into the lives of people. Valerie and Max both experienced exile, in the form of socio-political distaste. They were estranged from their homes, estranged from their loved ones, and estranged from themselves. It was their choices in life, their sexuality, their demeanor, everything that lead to what can be seen as exile. Max's Jewish Star in the concentration camp is just as invisible as the straight mask that Deitrich puts on and it is as coherent as the Guy Fawkes mask that V wears. However, exile extends beyond these physical attributes, and drives deeply to the core of what humanity is. Exilation is the separation of who a people claim to be, and who they really are.

Epilogue
I think that I should give a personal account of exile, as to maybe help the reader understand the reason behind this essay. I am not unlike Valerie or Max. I have been exiled by my own family, first because of my mother's actions, then my own. I'm bisexual, which may say much as to why I was exiled. My mother after I graduated from high school kicked me out of the home I had grown up in, called me "an abomination unto god" and relegated me to my car where I lived for a month before a friend of mine took me in and helped me get a room in the dorms. These two stories interest me, primarily because of my sexuality, but also their history and parallels that are so tightly woven, that they were almost meant to be compared. In a sense these stories reflect on my own life, giving me courage and yet also appraising my own situation, showing me that there are worse things in life. I maybe exiled from those who I once called family, exiled from the community in which I live, but I can find happiness with in it. I have learned to accept my history and learned from it. When Said speaks on exile I believe that he is expressing a notion of growth. When one is exiled it may be painful, may scorn and scar, but it also is a matter of growth, a matter of movement and acceptance of ones self.

Meta-Text:
I think this is actually a much harder thing to write than the paper. I look at what I've written and think of all the things I want to add to it, all the things I could extricate and make known. But with the limited space I have here, I can't do it. I rewrote sections two and three because I felt it could be even more refined, more specific. And with the advent of reading Said's writings on exile and how we read, I felt that this would be a great focal point for comparing the two dramas. Something to note is that the emboldened pieces are what remained the same from the original two part section, instead of the other way around (that being all new stuff being emboldened). Though this is presented as a new writing, it is in fact a revision of parts two and three from the original paper. I have actually introduced five new sources, and reused several earlier sources. Further over 5/6th of this revision is new material. In regards to the earlier meta-text response, I believe I've match most of the suggestions, if not all. I've attempted to reduce filler, gave a very strict and to the point thesis. Explicated the examples with minor background to show what exile is in relation to the characters.
I will leave in class remarks to my meta-text of my folder and concentrate more on my paper. I believe one of my earlier issues, and the reason why my first paper was so long, is because I was trying to utilize too many sources. In doing so I wanted to give equal time and placement for each of them while presenting my own ideas. By reducing the number of sources used I was able to give more to the ideas and reduce the overall length of the two sections into one. Further by focusing on the theme of exile I was able to limit the ideas I had. I attempted to answer the question of what exile is in regards to the GLBTQS community even though I only reference them a few times, and in doing so answer a bigger question, which is what is exile as a whole.

Works Cited:
Interview with Ryan McDaniel (Max in UWEC's 2008 production of Bent)

Sherman, Martin. Bent. London: Samuel French Inc. , 1979., (as reiterated in the Bent Production and Program for the UWEC 2008 Production directed by Richard Nimke. )

V for Vendetta. Dir. James McTeigue. Prod & Screenplay. Andy and Larry Wachowski. Perf. Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Natasha Wightman, John Hurt, Tim Pigott-Smith. DVD. 2006.

Said, Edward W. , Reflections of Exile Class Hand Out (CH)

What We Read out of Falling into Theory Pages: 189-198

Criticism: Answers.com Bent http://www.answers.com/topic/bent-play-8
Kerschen's Review Source: Lois Kerschen, Critical Essay on Bent, in Drama for Students, Thomson Gale, 2005.

Petruso's Review: Source: A. Petruso, Critical Essay on Bent, in Drama for Students, Thomson Gale, 2005.

Martinelli's Review: Source: Anthony Martinelli, Critical Essay on Bent, in Drama for Students, Thomson Gale, 2005.

Bibliography:
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Schneir, Feminism

Bonnie Zimmerman, George E. Haggerty. "Google Books: The Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures". October 27th 2008 .

Richard D., Mohr. "Google Books: Gays/Justice". October 27th 2008 .

Zeitgeist Addendum. Dir. Peter Joseph. Perf. Jacque Fresco, Roxanne Meadows, the Venus Project. DVD. 2008.

Polling data from the 2001 ARIS study, described below, indicate that:

81% of American adults identify themselves with a specific religion: 76.5% (159 million) of Americans identify themselves as Christian. Source: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_prac2.htm

Interview with Kyle Arthur Rudebusch President / Founder of
Speaking in Silence No Longer (SSNL)

Lawrence King article, Facebook group, Remembering Lawrence King (Murdered Because He was Gay.) http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8872347853

2008 Vice President Debates, Palin and Biden, 35:00-37:26 time lapse http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11442710/

The Spectator Monday October 20th 2008 Edition, front page article "Sexuality Issues..."

Richter, David H., and Gerald Graff. Falling into Theory : Conflicting Views on Reading Literature. Boston: Bedford/Saint Martin's, 1999.

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Foucault, Michel. A History of Sexuality : An Introduction. New York: Vintage, 1990.

Klemperer, Victor. I Will Bear Witness : A Diary of the Nazi Years, 1933-1941. New York: Modern Library, 1999.