Rubyfruit Jungle
Encyclopedia
Rubyfruit Jungle is the first novel (1973) by Rita Mae Brown
, remarkable, in its day, for its explicit lesbianism. The novel is a bildungsroman
/autobiographical
(some have suggested picaresque) account of Brown's youth and emergence as a lesbian author. The term "ruby fruit jungle" is slang
for the female genitals
.
. Unlike Carrie, Carl has always supported Molly's goals and education. However, when Molly's homosexual relationship with her alcoholic roommate is discovered, she is denied a renewal of her scholarship. Possessing little money, she moves to New York to pursue an education in filmmaking. Upon reaching New York, she realizes that the rubyfruit is maybe not as delicious and varied as she had dreamed within the concrete jungle.
In the 1960s, Brown attended Broward Community College and the University of Florida
, but she was expelled from UF for participating in a civil rights
rally. She later moved to New York City, attended New York University
, and received a degree in Classics and English. Later, she received another degree in Cinematography
from the New York School of Visual Arts, and, in 1976, she received a doctorate in political science.
, as well as for Brown's own activism in lesbian and feminist
causes. Many lesbian readers have found in it a reflection of their own experiences and observations. While some now refer to it as "just another lesbian coming of age novel" (Bildungsroman
), its success is part of why the genre is now often considered a cliché.
Rita Mae Brown
Rita Mae Brown is an American writer. She is best known for her first novel Rubyfruit Jungle. Published in 1973, it dealt with lesbian themes in an explicit manner unusual for the time...
, remarkable, in its day, for its explicit lesbianism. The novel is a bildungsroman
Bildungsroman
In literary criticism, bildungsroman or coming-of-age story is a literary genre which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood , and in which character change is thus extremely important...
/autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
(some have suggested picaresque) account of Brown's youth and emergence as a lesbian author. The term "ruby fruit jungle" is slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
for the female genitals
Sex organ
A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, as narrowly defined, is any of the anatomical parts of the body which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in a complex organism; flowers are the reproductive organs of flowering plants, cones are the reproductive...
.
Plot summary
The novel focuses on Molly Bolt, the adopted daughter of a poor family, who possesses remarkable beauty and who is aware of her lesbianism from early childhood. Her relationship with her mother is rocky, and at a young age her mother, referred to as "Carrie," informs Molly that she is not her own biological child but a "bastard." Molly has her first same-sex sexual relationship in the sixth grade with her friend Leota B. Bisland, and then again in a Florida high school, where she has another sexual relationship with another friend, Carolyn Simpson, the school lead cheerleader, who willingly has sex with Molly but refuses the name "lesbian." Molly also engages in sex with males, including her cousin Leroy when the two were younger. Her father, Carl, dies when she is in her junior year of high school. In a combination of her strong-willed nature and disdain for Carrie, Molly pushes herself to excel in high school, winning a full scholarship to the University of FloridaUniversity of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. Unlike Carrie, Carl has always supported Molly's goals and education. However, when Molly's homosexual relationship with her alcoholic roommate is discovered, she is denied a renewal of her scholarship. Possessing little money, she moves to New York to pursue an education in filmmaking. Upon reaching New York, she realizes that the rubyfruit is maybe not as delicious and varied as she had dreamed within the concrete jungle.
Parallels with personal life
In 1955, when Brown was 11 years old, her family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she attended high school and experimented sexually with boys and girls. When Brown was 16, her girlfriend's father found her love letters, and Brown was dismissed from the student council.In the 1960s, Brown attended Broward Community College and the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, but she was expelled from UF for participating in a civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
rally. She later moved to New York City, attended New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, and received a degree in Classics and English. Later, she received another degree in Cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
from the New York School of Visual Arts, and, in 1976, she received a doctorate in political science.
As a coming-of-age lesbian novel
This work is notable for being an early literary lesbian novelLesbian fiction
Lesbian fiction is a subgenre of fiction that involves one or more primary female homosexual character and lesbian themes. Novels that fall into this category may be of any genres, such as, but not limited to, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and romance.-History:The first...
, as well as for Brown's own activism in lesbian and feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
causes. Many lesbian readers have found in it a reflection of their own experiences and observations. While some now refer to it as "just another lesbian coming of age novel" (Bildungsroman
Bildungsroman
In literary criticism, bildungsroman or coming-of-age story is a literary genre which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood , and in which character change is thus extremely important...
), its success is part of why the genre is now often considered a cliché.