Penge Symbol Analysis

Penge, the estate that belongs to Clive’s family, symbolizes the homophobia embedded in the social structures and prevailing attitudes of England during the time of the novel. The homophobia at the heart of Penge is exemplified by the lies Clive will tell to ensure that Penge, and his ability to inherit it, is not disturbed. When Maurice first visits Penge, he and Clive are in a relationship, and Clive has arranged their rooms to have enough privacy so that they can talk through the night. They must do so in secret, though, and while they might momentarily forget their surroundings, the possibility that they might be discovered underlies their entire meeting.

Clive also stands to inherit Penge once he marries. Given the prohibitions against homosexuality at the time, Clive cannot marry Maurice. Because of this, the novel implies, he turns to heterosexuality to avoid upsetting the status quo, determining to live as a “normal man” (as he tells Maurice). This turn toward heterosexuality, and Clive’s eventual marriage, paves the way for him to inherit not just Penge but all of the trappings of upper-class life, including this society’s deeply entrenched homophobia. When Maurice visits Clive at Penge to tell him that he is going to begin a relationship with Alec, he makes a point to tell Clive that they first began their relationship and slept together at Penge. Clive is appalled. He tells Maurice that he thought Maurice had given up on that “obsession.” Maurice, though, refuses to lie about his sexual orientation, instead opting for happiness by embarking on a relationship with Alec. Clive, on the other hand, is left to come up with a lie to tell his wife, Anne, if she asks why Maurice visited. He must lie, then, to uphold the status quo and to make sure his marriage continues—a charade that has allowed him to inherit Penge. This lie further cements the estate as a symbol of the homophobia at the heart of English society. Penge also comes to symbolize all that a person in Clive’s position stands to lose if they renounce homophobia and embrace their true selves. The novel argues that it is infinitely worthwhile to renounce corrupt material possessions in favor of a spiritual, selfless kind of love.