The love that dare not speak its name

The end of The Price of Salt presents the reader with an optimistic view of lesbian relationships in the 1950s, albeit a limited one. Carol and Therese manage to become free from patriarchal bondage and set up a life for themselves through hard work and love. Carol does not have custody of her child, but she does have a new direction in life, a job, freedom and a lover in an apartment that really belongs to her. However, Highsmith shows the limitations of Carol and Therese's freedom by locating it entirely within the private realm of the home rather than making it a communal or public freedom.
Of course, we do not have access to the “happily ever after” of the story—that extends beyond the romance that we are given. We get the idea that Therese will live with Carol in her Manhattan apartment in domestic bliss, while they both attempt to further their respective careers. No where in the text does Highsmith indicate that either of the women identify as lesbians, nor that they want anything beyond the love that this domestic situation gives them. Therese is portrayed as obsessively in love with Carol, regardless of gender. Although we receive hints that Abbey identifies as a lesbian and has a group of queer friends (all of the suspicious talk about “Abbey's friends” and the party that she invites Therese to), Abbey is cut out of their relationship at the end. Prior to the gay liberation movement in the late 60s and early 70s, there were communities of lesbians and gay men that formed a community together. Highsmith does not position either heroine within this sort of community, though. Instead, the novel presents the reader with a lucky happenstance, whereby two women meet, fall in love and live happily ever after. Their relationship is pushed into the private realm of the hotel room and the apartment. Even Therese's flirtation with Genevieve must continue in the “inner circle party” rather than in the more public cocktail party. The novel does present a positive romance between lesbians, but in many ways, it remains totally private. Of course, it would have been nearly impossible to portray a lesbian community in a published book in the 1950s. In many ways, the novel does not speak to a larger community or an identity. Instead, Carol and Therese's relationship remains the love that dare not speak its name.