The Question of the Jamesian Presence in Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty

Alan Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty explores the social spectrum of 1980s Britain, with a focused account on the gay life in London. The novel is a coming out story, which observes the social milieu and psychological nuances under Thatcherism. The paper explores the presence of James as a figure in the fictional world of the book because of Nick’s studies. Hollinghurst uses Henry James as a literary agent in order to bring about the moral ambiguities of the characters. This paper examines how Hollinghurst employs the Jamesian presence through the literary techniques of ironies and implications. Alan Hollinghurst has seemingly built a bridge between a contemporary novel and a canonical figure, Henry James, who is growingly recognized as the author of “the gender confusion”. This paper, therefore, contributes to gender issues and the Jamesian legacy in contemporary fiction, which enriches the literary heritage.