History Literature / Maurice

* RevisedEnding: There was an WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue written for the book [[note]]it sometimes appears in editions of the book, these editions also have looked at the different versions of the manuscipt, however it was cut from the final maunscript which also deletes Maurice's surname[[/note]].

Set in and written during TheEdwardianEra, but not published until after the author's death in TheSeventies, Creator/EMForster's ''Maurice'' is a novel about the eponymous character, who is perhaps the most [[OverlyLongGag middle-of-the-road, ordinary, unexceptional, run of the mill, average]] middle-class Englishman you can imagine, except that he's attracted to men. This is a big problem, because back then homosexuality was punished as a crime and condemned by society. The book begins with an awkward "all you need to know about sex" talk delivered by a teacher to him as a young boy, setting the tone of heteronormativity and the psychological constraints that Maurice will spend most of the book trying to escape.

The book had a 1987 [[Creator/MerchantIvory Merchant-Ivory]] film adaptation which was rather good, starring James Wilby, Creator/HughGrant, Creator/RupertGraves, and Creator/DenholmElliott.

* VirginityMakesYouStupid: Anne never got so much as a "LieBackAndThinkOfEngland", making her and Clive's wedding night rather funny.

** The Epilogue has Maurice's lonely sister Kitty meeting him and Alec 5 years later in the countryside, she like the rest of the family don't know the truth, however she is rude to him, however later on once she realises that he's happy unlike her and wishes him well mentally. However Alec and Maurice chose to leave the area fearing Kitty will get the police.

* LastNameBasis: Alec who is often referred to as Scudder. According to Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} Forster did this to illustrate the idea of class difference. Maurice and Clive also only refer to each other by last name in school [[spoiler:until they accept that they've fallen in love. The last paragraph of the last chapter of Part One is them saying each other's first names.]]

The book had a 1987 [[Creator/MerchantIvory Merchant-Ivory]] film adaptation which was rather good, starring James Wilby, Creator/HughGrant and Creator/RupertGraves.

* RevisedEnding: There was an WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue written for the book [[note]]that sometimes appears in editions of the book, however it was cut from the final maunscript which also deletes Maurice's surname[[/note]].

The book had a 1987 [[Creator/MerchantIvory Merchant-Ivory]] film adaptation which was rather good, starring James Wilby, Creator/HughGrant and Rupert Graves.

The book had a 1987 Merchant-Ivory film adaptation which was rather good, starring James Wilby, Hugh Grant and Rupert Graves.

* SuddenlySexuality: Subverted. In the book, Clive decides overnight that he is no longer in love with Maurice and now is attracted to women, having grown out of his interest in men. This is all told to the reader from [[UnreliableNarrator his perspective.]] At the end, it's revealed that only much later would he realize he was kidding himself. Since this is all internal monologue, the movie opted to make it more obvious that he was just giving up for respectability's sake.

* BiTheWay: Alec, in the novel, explicitly states that he "cares for" both men and women. One of the first times Maurice sees him is kissing two maids; in fact, he actually envies Alec's ability to interact with the maids so easily, especially since he found them to be very unattractive. This is found as a deleted scene in the film.

* DistaffCounterpart: The 1928 Creator/DHLawrence novel ''Literature/LadyChatterleysLover'' shares similar themes (like class difference) and both the gamekeepers are based on the same man, but the focus is a woman instead.

Maurice, upset and more certain than ever that he wants to be "[[CureYourGays cured]]", sees a family friend, Dr. Barry, who tells Maurice he's talking rubbish and closes the subject. After some time passes, Maurice tries seeing a hypnotist, who tells him there's a small chance he can be cured, but that they can try. Maurice mucks this up phenomenally shortly thereafter by having sex with the [[MrFanservice under-gamekeeper]] at Clive's estate, Alec Scudder. [[LastNameBasis Scudder]] is in fact moving to Argentina in a week, but because Maurice is infatuated, he does his best to persuade Scudder to stay in England, willing to give up his job and social status in order for them to be together. Surprisingly, it has a HappyEnding, defying the EnforcedTrope in literature that any gay relationship had to end in death or tragedy, which is why it was written in 1913 but not published until 1971, a year after the author's death.

* DistaffCounterpart: The 1928 [[Creator/DHLawrence D.H. Lawrence]] novel ''Literature/LadyChatterleysLover'' shares similar themes (like class difference) and both the gamekeepers are based on the same man, but the focus is a woman instead.

* InterClassRomance: After a failed platonic romance with [[UpperClassTwit Clive]], Maurice has sex with the under-gamekeeper at Clive's estate. Their class difference even more than their homosexuality is what nearly stops them from pursuing a real relationship.
* LastNameBasis: Alec who is often referred to as Scudder. According to Wiki/TheOtherWiki Forster did this to illustrate the idea of class difference. Maurice and Clive also only refer to each other by last name in school [[spoiler:until they accept that they've fallen in love. The last paragraph of the last chapter of Part One is them saying each other's first names.]]

* {{Oxbridge}}: The perfect location for a homo-romantic relationship between school fellows that is [[Literature/BridesheadRevisited doomed to fail]].

* DistaffCounterpart: Some view the 1928 D.H. Lawrence novel ''Lady Chatterley's Lover'' as this, which has similar theme (like class difference) and both the gamekeepers are based on the same man.

* ForcefulKiss: Maurice plants one on Clive as the latter is just about to break up with him. They are nearly in a brawl at that very moment, and it ends with Clive having a bleeding lip and Maurice feeling terribly guilty and devastated.

* {{Gayngst}}: The entire book features Maurice struggling with the societal prejudices about sexuality and class which he's internalized, and ends with him finally overcoming his doubt and accepting his true nature. Interestingly, what ''really'' sets off his Gayngst is his break-up with Clive; up until this point he was pretty content with their relationship. For Clive on the other hand, this is the moment when he basically declares himself straight and thereby ends his Gayngst which he had massively after Risley's trial.

* ClosetKey: In the novel it is explicitly stated that Clive helped Maurice realize his sexuality. Maurice is arguably Clive's as well:

* PoorCommunicationKills: In hindsight, the misunderstanding between Maurice and Alec after their night together could have been avoided if Maurice had answered Alec's letters and admitted the feeling was mutual, therefore preventing Alec's unnecessary attempt to scare him by threat of blackmail. Granted, Maurice had every right to be nervous about starting a relationship (since Alec '"could'" have ratted him out if he wanted to), but he should have at least responded to Alec as a sign of courtesy.

* SuddenlySexuality: Subverted. In the book, Clive decides overnight that he is no longer in love with Maurice and now is attracted to women, having grown out of his interest in men. This is all told to the reader from [[UnreliableNarrator his perspective.]] At the end, it's revealed that only much later that would he realize he was kidding himself. Since this is all internal monologue, the movie opted to make it more obvious that he was just giving up for respectability's sake.

--> Simcox: Easy start tomorrow; only Mr. Hall's [[UnusualEuphemism pleasure to wait upon]].

* ServileSnarker: In the movie, the butler Simcox who's serving at the Durhams' estate is this. He seems to be the only one who knows fully well about the relationship between Clive and Maurice, as well as about Alec and Maurice later, and ever again drops subtly venomous comments that barely touch upon the subject and wouldn't be understood by an outsider but are pretty mean to Maurice and Clive. To Alec, he's much more openly hostile as he notices the latter's attraction to Maurice:

* ServileSnarker: In the movie, the butler Simcox who's serving at the Durham's estate is this. He seems to be the only one who knows fully well about the relationship between Clive and Maurice, as well as about between Alec and Maurice later, and ever again drops subtly venomous comments that barely touch upon the subject and wouldn't be understood by an outsider but are pretty mean to Maurice and Clive. To Alec, he's more openly hostile as he notices the latter's attraction to Maurice:

* StraightGay: None of the gay characters, perhaps excluding Risley, are identifiable as such just by their dress or mannerisms.

* ClosetKey: In the novel it is explicitly stated that Clive helped Maurice realize his sexuality.

* {{Gayngst}}: The entire book features Maurice struggling with the societal prejudices about sexuality and class which he's internalized, and ends with him finally overcoming his doubt and accepting his true nature.
* GreenEyedMonster: Maurice doesn't take his sister's interest in Clive very well.

* LastNameBasis: Alec who is often referred to as Scudder. According to the Wiki/TheOtherWiki Forster did this to illustrate the idea of class difference. Maurice and Clive also only refer to each other by last name in school [[spoiler:until they accept that they've fallen in love. The last paragraph of the last chapter of Part One is them saying each other's first names.]]