How Does Russinghurst Present The Theme Of Duality In The Line Of Beauty

The usual depiction of Thatcher’s Britain is through the hardships of the working-class, yet Hollinghurst provides the other end of the spectrum. It has been argued that Hollinghurst presents a unified London through his novel The Line of Beauty , influenced by Hogarth’s line of beauty which encapsulates two contrasting tensions for one unified line. London as a hub of diversity and multiculturalism informs and is informed by the theme of duality in London, rather than a sense of unity, in order to conceive London’s opposites. The main example of duality is the contrast of the gay community with the majority straight society, which blends into class divide and in turn exposes the hypocrisy of the upper-class. This will be the focus of my essay; addressing the duality of London presented by looking at the character of Nick with the context of London’s gay culture, leading onto class divisions with their treatment of such cultures, and finally how the politics of the time reflect these dualities.
His character develops from an innocent outlook to an openly hedonistic driven lifestyle, giving him a more knowledgeable yet dry countenance. This in particular can be reflected in the presentation of gay culture, from its original secrecy to final outing due to AIDs. This can first be seen at the start of the text during a night out with Leo:

‘…glancing a little worriedly none the less to the left and right, since Leo was holding him against the wall like a mugger as much as a lover – he worried what people would think’