Binky Brown Meets The Holy Virgin Mary - Overview

Overview

Binky Brown (the alter ego Green used in all of his autobiographical stories) exhibits compulsive behavior from an early age, but shortly before puberty he begins to develop an elaborate system of obsessions based on the fear that he will contaminate religious sites with his sexual thoughts. Eventually he begins to believe that "rays" from his penis (later emanating also from his hands and feet, and even from furniture) must be kept from striking churches or images of Mary. This disturbing psychological case study is portrayed with frequent touches of humor, as Binky also faces more usual challenges of adolescence. The story follows Brown/Green through his early twenties, when he finally achieves some control over his intrusive thoughts.

At the time he drew the book, Green did not know about OCD and described his condition as neurosis, which he blamed largely on his Catholic upbringing. After being diagnosed with OCD, Green softened his position on Catholicism—though he did not return to the Church—and, in his foreword to The Binky Brown Sampler, described the story as "a sin of youth ... done out of internal necessity."