Comparing and Contrasting the Young Protagonists in Neil Bartlett's Ready to Catch Him Should He Fall and Edmund White's A Boy's Own Story

Introduction
Neil Bartlett’s Ready to Catch Him Should He Fall (1990) and Edmund White’s A Boy’s Own Story (1982) are two seminal works in LGBTQ+ literature, each chronicling the journey of young protagonists grappling with their sexuality, identity, and coming-of-age experiences. Though both novels are centered around young boys trying to navigate their desires and relationships within a broader societal context, their protagonists, Simon (from Ready to Catch Him Should He Fall) and the narrator (from A Boy’s Own Story), embody very different experiences of self-discovery, family relationships, and social challenges. This comparison will analyze these two characters, examining how their backgrounds, emotional struggles, and paths toward self-understanding reflect the distinct themes of sexuality, family dynamics, and identity formation within the context of their respective narratives.

1. Background and Upbringing: Family Dynamics

1. Simon in Ready to Catch Him Should He Fall:
   In Bartlett’s novel, Simon grows up in London during the 1960s and 1970s, in a family marked by distance and emotional isolation. His relationship with his parents is somewhat detached, and his father’s rejection of his sexuality adds to Simon’s sense of alienation. Simon’s family, in particular, is represented by a coldness and lack of communication, which contrasts sharply with the warmth and openness that Simon seeks in his relationships with others. His sexual awakening happens amid a feeling of abandonment, as he yearns to find his place in a world that does not seem to understand him. The lack of nurturing from his family leads Simon to explore his identity in other spaces, especially through his relationships with men.

2. The Narrator in A Boy's Own Story:
   In contrast, the narrator in White’s novel experiences a more complex and intimately dysfunctional family life. His relationship with his mother is marked by a deep, often overwhelming attachment, which borders on emotional dependency. This attachment is contrasted with his father’s absence, both physically and emotionally, which creates a sense of loss in the narrator’s life. The narrator's sexual awakening is also shaped by this fractured family dynamic—his sexual desire emerges not just as a source of personal conflict, but as a way to express the longing for a closeness he lacks in his familial relationships. The story portrays a boy caught between the suffocating bond with his mother and the absence of his father, which complicates his own process of self-definition.

2. Sexual Awakening and Exploration

1. Simon’s Journey of Sexual Discovery:
   Simon’s exploration of his sexuality is characterized by a series of encounters and relationships with men that provide a sense of intimacy and belonging that he does not find at home. His sexual experiences are often defined by secrecy and shame, but they also represent a means of escape from the emotional emptiness he feels within his family. In Simon’s case, his discovery of his sexuality is not just a personal awakening, but also a search for acceptance and connection in a society that is often hostile to his desires. The journey to self-acceptance is marked by moments of vulnerability, where Simon navigates feelings of guilt and desperation, but also experiences moments of profound connection with those who understand him.

2. The Narrator’s Sexual Exploration:
   The narrator in A Boy's Own Story is similarly engaged in the process of sexual exploration, but his experiences are far more rooted in psychological complexity and confusion. His sexual curiosity manifests as a desire for both physical intimacy and emotional connect
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