The concept of interpersonal relations is complex indeed: people have to consider the importance of social, cultural, family, and other influences and make the solutions that correspond to their understanding of life. It is not an easy task to develop strong relations and be confident in their correctness. People have to realize that social communication is an important factor. However, social communication is not only about talks and words. It is about sex and the pheromones that attract and confuse people (Farley 162). The relations of Lusa and Cole in “Moth Love” from Prodigal Summer written by Barbara Kingsolver help to realize that personal and societal factors play an important role in human lives and define the quality and standards people choose; besides, the impact of sexual relations should not be neglected because sexuality is also a crucial concept that may prevail over love or even life.
The relations that are developed between a city girl, Lusa, and a farmer, Cole, are chosen for the analysis because it is interesting and educative to evaluate their peculiarities from social and sexual points of view at the same time. On the one hand, it is hard to imagine the continuation of the relations of people with different social statuses without the necessity to diminish the needs of one person. On the other hand, it is impossible to realize how a city girl can leave her ideals and living standards and choose the life in a village. Cole admits that it is possible “to take the girl out of the city” but it is hard “to take the city out of the girl” (Kingsolver 35). However, it seems that Cole forgets about one unnoticeable but crucial point as pheromones the presence of which lead to love and a kind of dependence (Winston 386).
The presence and possible impact of pheromones are the topics that lead to a number of controversial discussions because different people are able to introduce different positions and facts (Rathus 495). People may or may not believe in the power of pheromones that predetermine societal and personal relations. However, the relations between Lusa and Cole may serve as one of the possible examples of how pheromones define the quality of relations. Lusa is ready to forget about her style of life and leave everything to be with Cole and live at a farm. Still, she is not able to communicate with other people at the same farm and face a number of obstacles on her way. Such difference may be explained that her personal relations with Cole are predetermined by the pheromones, and her societal relations with Cole and other members of his family depend on some other factors.
Finally, Farley explains that sexual relations may be based on diverse feelings like “pleasure and pain, joy and sadness, peacefulness and anger, a sense of well-being and a sense of shame” (161). That is why it is hard to understand what exact factors may influence the relations between people, the relations between Lusa and Cole in particular. However, it is clear that the controversies that exist between these two people are not the reasons to be separated. These differences may become the reasons for why these two people remain to be together.
In general, Farley’s explanation of sex and its role in societal and personal relations helps to clarify the relations of Lusa and Cole and understand that pheromones do play a certain role in interpersonal relations and cannot be neglected. Lusa and Cole’s relations introduce the way of how personal “chemical” connection may exceed the differences in social statuses and personal preferences.
Works Cited
Farley, Margaret. “Sexuality and Its Meaning.” Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics. New York, NY: The Continuum International Publishing Group, 2008. 159-171. Print.
Kingsolver, Barbara. “Moth Love.” Prodigal Summer. New York, NY: Harper-Collins Publishers, 2000. 30-48. Print.
Rathus, Spencer. Psychology: Concepts and Connections. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
Winston, Robert. The Human Mind. London, UK: Random House, 2014. Print.