An Emergence of Green by Katherine V. Forrest
"An Emergence of Green" by Katherine V. Forrest is a contemporary novel set in suburban Los Angeles during the 1980s, focusing on the complex relationship between two women, Val and Carolyn. Val, a struggling artist and single mother, embodies a strong, unconventional image that challenges societal norms, while Carolyn is trapped in a stifling marriage with her controlling husband, Paul. As their friendship deepens into a romantic relationship, Carolyn grapples with her identity and the oppressive dynamics of her marriage. The narrative explores themes of love, self-discovery, and the struggle against societal expectations, highlighting the emotional and physical struggles the characters face. The title alludes to Val's belief that moving to a greener, more vibrant place symbolizes a chance for growth and renewal. The story intertwines humor, sexuality, and elements of violence, ultimately depicting each woman's journey toward understanding her own desires and reclaiming her identity. Forrest's work serves as a poignant reflection on love's unexpected paths and the evolution of personal identity amidst changing circumstances.
On this Page
An Emergence of Green by Katherine V. Forrest
First published: 1986
The Work
An Emergence of Green is a contemporary story of two women’s lives as they meet and fall in love and struggle with the reality of their experience. The novel is set in suburban Los Angeles during the 1980’s. One of the women, Val, is a struggling artist with an eight-year-old son. Carolyn is a neighbor who lives with her husband of eight years.
Katherine Forrest writes the story from a lesbian perspective, which creates strong women characters. Val is the stereotypical lesbian; she is tall, big, and strong in stature and presents an alarming persona to the straight world, especially Carolyn’s husband. The women become good friends, and as they acknowledge their physical attraction to each other, they become lovers, which creates additional problems for the relationship and marriage of Carolyn and Paul.
As an artist, Val is most aware of the color of things in nature, at home, and the colors that people do or do not wear. The book’s title is a reference to Val’s explanation that moving to a more green place signifies more life, a different life, a life potentially filled with more growth. As the story continues, the women become victims of Paul’s violence and hatred of Val. He is insistent that Carolyn is his property, that he has given her all the material comforts possible, and that she has no reason to no longer belong to him. Carolyn has over the years given her life away, changed jobs, changed houses, changed her entire being to please Paul. Finally, when she realizes that what she has called love for Paul is based on pity and wanting to have his life as important to her as it is to Paul, she begins to understand that somewhere she has lost most of her identity, and is functioning only as an object in Paul’s life. From this awareness, she moves toward Val in a loving, sexual relationship that is more satisfying for her than any other previous relationship she has had. The dilemma then begins when she realizes that she must separate from Val and Paul to find her identity. In an effort to control Carolyn, Paul rapes her. Carolyn goes to Val for support and assistance.
Forrest uses the story of Val and Carolyn to remind readers that people fall in love with others with whom they would not expect to fall in love. The world continually changes, people’s lives continually change, and as a result people’s loves can change. The story contains humor, suburban reality, sexuality, passion, erotica, violence, and strength of character.
Bibliography
Boutelier, Nancy. “Breathing the Rarified Air of Freedom.” Lambda Book Report 4, no. 8 (January-February, 1996): 6.
Brownworth, Victoria A. “No Mystery.” The Advocate 655 (May 17, 1994): 50.