Innocence by Harold Brodkey
"Innocence" by Harold Brodkey is a nuanced exploration of the complex relationship between two college seniors, Wiley and Orra Perkins. The story delves into Wiley’s intense obsession with Orra, who embodies an alluring beauty that both captivates and intimidates him. Despite feeling like a "sexual nonentity" in her presence, Wiley is determined to pursue her, leading to a series of intimate and revealing encounters. The narrative captures Wiley’s struggles with self-identity and his desire to connect with Orra on a deeper level, particularly through their sexual relationship.
As their relationship unfolds, themes of sexual exploration, emotional distance, and the quest for connection emerge. Orra's initial inability to achieve orgasm becomes a focal point, symbolizing the barriers within their relationship. Despite differing perspectives on intimacy, both characters engage in a journey of mutual discovery that ultimately leads to a transformative experience for Orra. The story culminates in a moment of revelation, challenging preconceived notions of sexual fulfillment and intimacy. Brodkey's work invites readers to reflect on the intersections of love, desire, and the complexities of human relationships.
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Innocence by Harold Brodkey
First published: 1973
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: The 1950's
Locale: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Principal Characters:
Wiley Silenowicz , the narrator, a student at HarvardOrra Perkins , a beautiful young Radcliffe student who becomes his girlfriend
The Story
Wiley Silenowicz describes Orra Perkins and begins to explain why he was so obsessed with her. She was more than merely beautiful; her looks were like "a force that struck you." If someone were to see her in sunlight, that experience might be translated into watching "Marxism die." Whereas Orra was beauty personified and approachable only by men of money and breeding, Wiley was a young man with neither. Although the odds were against him, however, he was not about to be frightened away from Orra.
The story opens when Wiley and Orra are seniors in college and Wiley has figured out how not to be invisible to her anymore. At the close of the first part of the story, Wiley concludes that to become something more than a "sexual nonentity" to Orra he must get her attention. Orra would be his ultimate sexual adventure. What is it worth, Wiley asks, to be in love this way?
Wiley explains that his recounting of his relationship with Orra will not be orderly. He does not believe that he can do his story justice by remaining calm. To understand, he says, is to tremble. Wiley now details how he lured Orra into a sexual relationship with him. They agreed to meet at his room before they went out to dinner, and Wiley left his door unlocked so that Orra could enter without even knocking. On entering Wiley's room, Orra was shocked to find him in bed. When he told her that he was naked under the sheet, she cried, "Damn you—why couldn't you wait?" Although she was disappointed with Wiley for not letting their relationship progress more slowly, she undressed and they engaged in sexual intercourse. Wiley regarded their sex as "really sort of poor" and was disappointed because Orra did not have an orgasm. He imagined that all of her other lovers were too intimidated by her beauty to help her achieve an orgasm. That first night they remained together and talked about love and its infinite possibilities.
The third part of the story concerns Orra's inability to have an orgasm. She was convinced that having an orgasm was irrelevant, but Wiley believed that her not having an orgasm was a barrier that set a limit on their relationship. Orra strongly disagreed and did not want to experiment sexually in order to remedy the situation. Wiley concludes that "she was fantastically alive and eerily dead at the same time. I wanted for my various reasons to raise her from the dead."
In the last part of the story, Wiley decided that conventional sexual activity would not cause Orra to have an orgasm. Although she was reluctant to engage in other sexual acts, Wiley proceeded with oral sex. She did not want him to be solely interested in her having an orgasm. She wanted to remain distant and not give herself totally to any man. Whenever her body would "vibrate," she became "embarrassed." Eventually, however, through the experience of mutual sexual discovery, they both became more in tune with what is needed for total sexual gratification. At the end of the story, Orra finally had her first orgasm while engaged in sexual intercourse with Wiley. After screaming that she was "coming," she angrily remarked that she "always knew they were doing it wrong, I always knew there was nothing wrong with me."
Bibliography
Bawer, Bruce. "A Genius for Publicity." The New Criterion 7 (December, 1988): 58-69.
Bidney, Martin. "Song of Innocence and of Experience: Rewriting Blake in Brodkey's 'Piping Down the Valleys Wild.'" Studies in Short Fiction 31 (Spring, 1994): 237-246.
Braham, Jeanne. "The Power of Witness." The Georgia Review 52 (Spring, 1998): 168-180.
Brodkey, Harold. This Wild Darkness: The Story of My Death. New York: Henry Holt, 1996.
Dolan, J. D. "Twilight of an Idol." Nation 262 (March 25, 1995): 35-36.
Kermode, Frank. "I Am Only Equivocally Harold Brodkey." The New York Times Book Review, September 18, 1988, 3.
Mano, D. Keith. "Harold Brodkey: The First Rave." Esquire 87 (January, 1977): 14-15.
Weiseltier, Leon. "A Revelation." The New Republic 192 (May 20, 1985): 30-33.