With certain characters, like Jaques and Giovanni, I feel that the author is trying to portray a sense of persuasion with David, trying to get him to accept his homosexuality in being a part of his identity. With the lady, that is in his room in the present day, I feel that it portrays a sense of needing to be normal. She plays his conscience in a way. He himself, his thoughts seem to be homophobic- He doesnt want to be gay, and he finds other gay guys to be desperate, disgusting and even abnormal. In his childhood, he had even bullied Joey for being the very same way that he is. In most of the text, you get a sense that he doesnt accept himself, because he cant appreciate his sexuality. He very much goes against it, which only shows me that he’s phobic of it.
Professor Laura Westengard
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I agree that David avoids his sexuality throughout the novel. Do you think he is avoiding anything else?
I agree that David doesn’t accept himself and the fact that he is gay. I’m not sure if the caretakers serves as a David’s conscience as musch as she symbolizes his morals, the nirms of society and the life he wants to lead. She definitely serves as a perpetual reminder odf the life David thinks he should have. I think he is also avoiding love and getting close to anyone. I think because of his neglectful relationship with his father, he never really experienced affection and love, so the concept is foreign to him. I think that is whay we constantly see him pushing away Giovanni and Hella after a few seconds of being close.
I agree with you, through out the story David was force or presured by Giovanni or Hella to do something somehow or another, but he didn’t make any decisions for himself that I think got him in the position that he ended at. Also I think he wasn’t sincere with himself, by thinking that other gay people were disgusting. I believe he was the one who was disgusted of himself because he knew how nice it felt to be with the person you like and yet not being able to be with that dear person because you would’ve ended a relation with your dad, i felt sorry for him.