Modernism emerged as a significant artistic and intellectual movement in the early 1900s. It was shaped by notable changes in literary style, social awareness, and psychological studies. During this time, the modern novel became a key medium for examining marginalized identities, including homosexuality, which faced legal and cultural challenges in Britain. This paper looks at how homosexuality is represented in selected works by E. M. Forster (Maurice, A Passage to India, and Howard's End) and Virginia Woolf (Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and To the Lighthouse). It argues that both writers explore same-sex attraction through various methods, such as silence, displacement, symbolism, and unique narrative techniques. They draw from queer theory, modernist analysis, and historical context. Forster views silence as a moral failing, ultimately supporting homosexual love in Maurice. Meanwhile, Woolf uses silence to express fluid and often unclear desires. Together, their works show how modernist literature deals with themes of resistance and oppression, turning silence into a strong form of queer expression.
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Volume 4 | Issue 1 | Year 2026 | Article Id: LLL-V4I1P102 DOI: https://doi.org/10.59232/LLL-V4I1P102
Silenced Desires: Representations of Homosexuality in the Modern Novels of Virginia Woolf and E. M. Forster
Sunita G. Bedse, Manohar D. Dugaje
| Received | Revised | Accepted | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Nov 2025 | 20 Dec 2025 | 22 Jan 2026 | 28 Feb 2026 |
Citation
Sunita G. Bedse, Manohar D. Dugaje. “Silenced Desires: Representations of Homosexuality in the Modern Novels of Virginia Woolf and E. M. Forster.” DS Journal of Language, Linguistics and Literature, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 13-20, 2026.
Abstract
Keywords
Virginia Woolf and E. M. Forster, Homosexuality, Historical contexts.
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