Maurice Hall
A conventional upper-middle-class Englishman who gradually accepts that he is gay and chooses Alec over social respectability.
To stop living in fear and build an honest life with a man he loves, even if that means abandoning the status and security prepared for him.
The book
At a glance
- Protagonist
- Upper-middle-class
- Clive’s former love and Alec’s partner
Who they are in the book
Spoiler-freeMaurice begins without a useful language for his desire. School, family, and work teach him how a respectable man should behave, so he initially understands himself as a problem to be concealed or repaired.
Clive’s rejection and the failure of medical treatment leave him isolated. Loving Alec finally turns honesty from an abstract wish into a practical decision.
How the book draws them
- Young English gentlemanHe is solidly built and outwardly conventional.
- Edwardian suitRespectability is visible in his clothing.
- Guarded expressionYears of concealment shape his face.
- Emerging opennessThe portrait also suggests his capacity for change.
- Close engraved bustThe country estate remains outside the portrait.
- Muted blue accentThe cool color suits his restrained exterior.
Maurice rejects Clive’s respectable world. He and Alec reunite at the boathouse and decide to build a life together outside conventional society.
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