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Less
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The Search for Identity
Arthur Less’s search for identity occupies much of the narrative. After several personal tragedies, he seeks to redefine himself. He questions his style, his self-worth, his status as a writer, and his sexuality. Only once he determines where he exists in relation to these traits does he find his identity.
One of the most telling parts of Less’s identity is his wardrobe. He wears one blue suit so often that people are astounded to see him without it. The blue suit has come to define him, and he has internalized the belief that there is no Arthur Less without the blue suit. The adoption of the blue suit as an external expression of identity is a coping mechanism. If people define Arthur Less by his clothes (which he can remove on a whim), they then do not need to look further into his actual character. Less does not want people to scrutinize him too closely, as he is afraid to do this to himself. Thus, he adopts the suit as an external identity. During his journey, he learns to distance himself from the suit. First, he buys new clothing. Then, the suit is ripped and torn to shreds. Without the suit, Less must self-examine and accept his actual identity rather than project one via his clothes.
This includes examining his sexuality. Less is gay but does not feel part of the gay community. He constantly separates himself from those around him and defines himself as being apart from other people, whether fellow party attendees or other gay authors. Though he describes himself as a homosexual, others do not. He is not a part of the gay literary canon and is not reviewed by gay critics. When Less is called a “bad gay” (107), it calls this identity—one Less has cherished his entire life as definitive—into question. Less resolves this by rewriting his novel and, by proxy, his own identity. His revisions are literary and metaphorical: Through the editing process, Less learns of a new way to define himself. He embraces the identities (writer, homosexual) that he has long held, and as he writes them onto his protagonist, he internalizes them into his conception of himself.
Success and Perspective
One of Less’s most pressing concerns is his lack of success. He does not see himself as successful in love, in writing, or even in existing in the world. He casts himself as a tragic figure, someone who fails at everything they attempt, a constant victim of bad luck. But this lack of success is a matter of perspective. Throughout the novel Less is shown to be a successful and lucky person; to recognize his successes, he must view them from an alternative perspective.
One of the ways this theme is expressed is through relationships. Less believes himself to be unsuccessful in love. This failure prompts him to go on a journey around the world, as Freddy’s wedding represents Less’s nadir. But at various points in the narrative, Less meets people whose love lives are far more tragic than his own. There is Javier, who is trapped in a loveless marriage. There are Lewis and Clark, who marriage—once the model of homosexual marriage—has now ended. There is Robert, who is dying alone and must accept the care of his ex-wife. Less is not alone in his romantic failures. In fact, his history of loving and being loved (with both Freddy and Robert) is the kind of experience some people only dream of achieving. Viewing the world from other perspectives helps Less reevaluate his own successes and failures.
Perhaps the biggest expression of this theme is the conversation Less has with Carlos on the beach. The two are longtime enemies, and Less has always believed that Carlos resented the relationship between Freddy (his son) and Less. But Carlos bluntly tells Less that he is one of the luckiest people Carlos has ever known. Less has loved and been loved by wonderful people. He has achieved professional success that few can ever hope to attain. He has traveled the world, won awards, and experienced fantastic and ridiculous events. The accusation stumps Less so profoundly that it forces him to reconsider his entire identity. On top of this, Carlos provides Freddy with Less’s flight details. Though he dislikes Less, Carlos sees the value of true love. In the end, Less realizes his successes are very real, but he must alter his perspective to appreciate them.
Travel, Transformation, and Universality
Travel is not just a verb but a theme in this novel. The act of traveling is physical, but the effect of traveling is change. By traveling the world and exposing himself to new people and perspectives, Less becomes a different person. This pervading theme—the effects of travel upon character—seeps into every chapter.
Travel brings with it the idea of the new and the novel. Less is introduced to experiences and people that do not fit into his preconception of the world. Zohra, for example, continuously surprises Less. She is a reflection of his character: She is homosexual, about to turn 50, and struggling to find her place in the world. She and Less take a journey together; in a very literal sense, they travel through the desert on a voyage of self-discovery. Less is surprised to learn she is as old as him; he is surprised to learn she is a lesbian; and he is surprised when she is the only person able to stay with him all the way to the Swiss resort in the Atlas mountains (which is itself a surprise). Zohra embodies confounded expectations. She shares many characteristics with Less yet is also a constant source of surprise. The more he learns about Zohra, the more he understands how people might view him. This journey through the desert teaches Less of the importance of exterior perspectives and how they can influence perception and identity.
While travel lends itself to new discoveries, it also reveals universality. Less covers the globe and finds that many people are either like him or remind him of people he knows. He sees his mother’s scarf on a Japanese woman; he shares literary ambitions with Mohammed; and each of the Japanese meals is exactly the same. No matter where Less travels, he finds the same fundamental truths. Likewise, Bastian’s sleeping positions remind Less of Freddy, and the sky over Tahiti reminds Freddy of Less. On opposite sides of the planet, the two lovers cannot help but see one another in their surroundings. Though traveling often involves strange and foreign experiences, it also teaches Less about the universality of being: The further he goes, the more everything seems the same.
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