Sunburn

Lucy is the narrator and protagonist of Sunburn, which follows her development from a teenager to an adult as she comes to terms with her sexuality and identity in the inhospitable environment of Crossmore. The novel focuses on Lucy’s struggle to accept herself and her love for Susannah, which is largely an internal struggle, though she often uses external justifications for her actions. Lucy claims to do things for other people, but she is really only concerned with herself. For example, she dates Martin to protect her relationship with Susannah, but she admits that she is only protecting herself from her mother. Lucy often calls herself a “coward” or a “sinner,” but these descriptions are rooted in her own inability to see herself as a real person with valid concerns. Nonetheless, Lucy ultimately regrets her decision to move to Dublin with Martin, therein denying her relationship with Susannah and attempting to live as though she feels any attraction to men. In the end, she reunites with Susannah, showing the final triumph of her own identity over the restrictions placed on her by her friends, family, and community.

The novel begins when Lucy does not have a clear idea of her sexuality, and she even suspects that she does not have any sexual feelings.