The well of loneliness

"The Well of Loneliness" by Radclyffe Hall is a story set in the beginning of the 1900s, where a unique individual named Stephen Gordon comes of age, battling with identity and the need for acceptance in a prejudiced community. From the beginning, in the Gordon family home, the story looks into Stephen's early years, highlighting her parents' desire for a son, but instead, they had a daughter who was named "Stephen", strangely going against societal norms. Growing up, Stephen deals with difficult emotions, especially the loving but troubled connection with her mother, made worse by her awareness that she does not fit societal expectations. This sets the stage for Stephen's search for love and belonging in an unwelcoming world.