MAKING LOVE

Analysis of Theme of Love and Sex in 'Making Love'

Analysis of Theme of love and sex in 'Making Love'

Introduction

Tom Inglis, a sociologist lost his wife when she was only forty seven years old. She died because of breast cancer. At her death, Inglis was very upset and considered that a part of his own self has left him alone. Inglis used to love his wife madly and considering her death as his greatest loss in life, he wrote a book about his life with his wife depicting their intense love and association of sexuality with love and life. He wrote the book, 'Memoir: Making Love' not only revealing the story of his life with his wife, but also sexual and love based desires, understanding and importance in this life. He generalises the notion of sex and love as demands of every human being. However, he also portrays social restrictions and understandings towards sex and love in the Irish society to which, he and his wife belonged. This essay analyses the theme of sex and love in 'Making Love'.

Discussion

Tom Inglis and his wife, Aileen MacKeogh met for the first time when they were in their teenage. Inglis was of eighteen years while Aileen was only of sixteen years when they started loving each other (Paperbacks, 2012). They initiated loving each other from their first meeting. Afterwards, they led thirty years together that were full of love, care and harmony. They had three children out of which, the last one named as Luke died at the age of nine months accidentally. This happening made them come in a more intimate relationship than before (Dwyer, 2012).

Inglis and Aileen shared many common features such as belonging to the same social class, social status, and similar religion (Catholicism) and age group (Dwyer, 2012). They faced no difficulty in marrying each other, however, their decision of marriage was taken as a bourgeois one by their friends who considered them as followers of capitalism and Marxism. Inglis and Aileen believed in true love than sex only, but they regarded sex as an essential part of love. They wanted to extend their loving relationship to whole of their lives (Dwyer, 2012).

Inglis informs about Catholic Irish culture affecting people's sexual lives. He acknowledges that as a man, he was never at ease with his sexual relationship and regarded it his incapacity built in him by his Irish Catholic cultural identity. Whenever his wife hugged him to let him feel the pleasure of hugging, he used to get rid of her as soon as he can because he felt uneasy about that. He informs that he considered hugging correlated to sexual intercourse. He regarded hugging as crucial in making love. He compares hugging and sex and finds hugging better than sex if it is done according to the norms. He regards hugging as an art (Inglis, 2013).

Being an artist and better off than Inglis in expression of love and sexual desire, she tried to teach Inglis but was unable to ...