Mysteries Of Pittsburgh Michael Chabbon Character Analysis

Michael Chabon’s novel The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is a coming of age story which, remarks on sexual identity and familial issues which shift the course of the characters’ lives within the novel. The novel’s main character is Art Bechstein. Art has just graduated college and he is seeking to find himself and in the process others too. In the book, sexual identity becomes a major focus. This is seen when, Art meets Arthur Lecomte, a man who is very charming and homosexual. Art also meets Arthur’s friend, Cleveland Arning, who is attracted to danger and involved in organized crime. The story gets further complicated when Art begins a new relationship with a young woman named Phlox Lombardi. She is very insecure and Art is also attracted to

Arthur, but disregarding this he begins to date Phlox. The author shows sexual identity and bisexuality in the love triangle between Art, Arthur, and Phlox. Moreover, familial histories, issues, and problems also shape the course of Art’s life in significant ways. As the son of a mob money launderer who lives in Washington, D.C., Art has connections to organized crime that he is highly influenced by. Fundamentally, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh utilizes characterization, setting, and plot to instigate conflict between family, lovers, and friends in order to demonstrate Art’s coming of age in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
One of the most important themes of The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is sexual identity. The novel begins with Art’s admonition that he may be a homosexual.
There had been a time in high school, see, when I wrestled with the possibility that I
might be gay, a torturous six-month culmination of years of unpopularity and
girlessness… The locker room became a place of torment, full of exposed male genitalia
that seemed to taunt me…” (Chabon).
Importantly, Art had been quite unsure of his sexual identity and this became clear throughout the narrative. He had informed himself that he was gay and that he should get used to this fact, however, he seemed to struggle with uncertainty about whether or not he liked men or women. This was demonstrated when Art had articulated
This crisis of self-esteem had been abruptly dispelled by the advent of Julie Lefkowitz,
followed swiftly by her sister Robin… but I never forgot my period of profound sexual
doubt. Once in a while I would meet an enthralling man… and I would wonder, just for a
moment, by what whim of fate I had decided that I was not a homosexual (Chabon).
Significantly, this rhetoric and plotline is the foundation for the novel’s main themes, occurrences, and ultimate coming of age of the central protagonist.

Unsurprisingly, the novel is a classic coming of age story which centers on a young man who is confused about himself and his sexual identity in his early twenties. This confusion about himself and his sexual identity is the driving force of his interactions with his friends and lovers. Moreover, this confusion about himself and his sexual identity also facilitates the conflict and unforeseen consequences which occur during the novel.

One of the most important components of the theme of sexual identity involves the ways in which Art’s sexual identity facilitates the action, conflict, and emotional content throughout the narrative. In this way, Art’s sexual identity greatly influenced his interactions with the other characters within the novel. After his graduation from college, Art nearly immediately meets Arthur Lecomte who would shape the course of Art’s decisions, emotions, and identity throughout the novel. He had become quite interested in Arthur and this was shown when Art was ruminating on his newfound interest.

The city was new again, and newly dangerous, and I would walk the streets quickly,

eyes
averted from those of passersby, like a spy in the employ of lust and happiness, carrying
the secret deep within me but always on the tip of my tongue (Chabon).
His obvious reverence and affection for Arthur was inherent upon their first meeting when Art explains “I laughed, but Arthur stood straight, looked deeply, beautifully sympathetic for perhaps a tenth of a second, and nodded, with that fine empty courtesy he seemed to show everyone” (Chabon). This attention to the detail and nuances associated with Arthur’s facial expressions and disposition lends the reader the notion that Art may be attracted to Arthur in emotional, psychological, and physical ways. He goes on to discussing his admiration for Arthur and his keen intelligence which Art notices and idolizes.
He had an effortless genius for manners; remarkable, perhaps, just because it was unique
among people his age…[Arthur] would triumph over any scene he chose to make; that in
a world made miserable by frankness, his handsome condescension… were fatal gifts,
and I wanted to serve in his corps and to be socially graceful (Chabon).
Significantly, this demonstrates the fact that Art has taken a great interest in Arthur and the ways in which he presents and carries himself in public. When Art articulates that he wants to serve in his corps and to be socially graceful, Art is revealing that Arthur has not only captured his attention, but the notion that Art would want to change aspects of himself in order to be more like Arthur. This illuminates Art’s appreciation and admiration for Arthur which ultimately propels the plot, the major theme of sexual identity, and his relationship with this homosexual young man.