Purging the Sexual Neuroses and Perversions of Twentieth Century America in Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer

Abstract

This paper aims at discussing the one of the two ‘Tropic’ novels of Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer with respect to its role in exposing the unhealthy repression of sexuality in the American society in the early part of the twentieth century. With the publication of this novel, Henry Miller challenged a number of things; especially the censors and the accepted standard structure of a novel. He exposed the rot that lay in the American society in terms of sexual hypocrisy and morality. His novels are called as ‘autonovels’ and had been banned for obscenity. In this paper we also look at the contribution of Tropic of Cancer role in exposing sexual hypocrisy in erstwhile America and bringing sexual revolution. Tropic of Cancer is a milestone in the journey that America undertook from being Puritan America to a sexually liberated America and his warning for the future against becoming complacent about the war against hypocrisy.