Friday, March 13, 2015
The Fault in the Maternal Instinct
As I sat in class today pondering Maggie's part in Kenan's story, I begin to wonder if perhaps it wasn't her will to protect Edward that was his downfall. Kenan is very specific that Maggie made sure to raise Edward on his own and wanted him to be nothing like his father or his grandfather. In my mind I pictured a life in which Edward knew nothing but the feminine side of things, cooking, going to church, her love of soap operas...so is it a stretch to think these influences may have gone too far? While I am not stating that homosexuality is an environmental factor, I am wondering if a male influence would have made a difference in how this latent sexuality was handled. If Edward felt he only had Maggie and she made clear the line she held between right and wrong could it have been her trying to protect him that ran him off? I have always believed in too much of a good thing being destructive and I wonder if this story doesn't take this to the next level.
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I definitely agree that a male influence would have made a difference for Edward. However, I also think it might have hindered him as well. I think knowing that he only had a female influence, it made it easier for him to be honest and come out to Maggie. Not to stereotype but women are generally known for being more in touch with their feelings than men. Had there been a male influence I think Edward might have felt encouraged to stay closeted a little longer so as to not be seen as weak and appear to the world as a real "man's man" when really he was much more sensitive than that.
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ReplyDeleteMaggie didn't really have a choice in whether or not Edward had a male influence, his father was described as a degenerate. I don't think we can fault Maggie for Edward being gay, but rather we can say that Edward stayed away because Maggie's religious attitudes toward homosexuality scared him.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rachel and Haley. Either way you look at it Edward would have still been gay and his upbringing had nothing to do with that. Had there been a male influence it may have been harder for Edward to come to terms with it and this would have been a very different story.
ReplyDeleteI agree I think a male influence would have made a major impact on Edward's life. Whether or not it would have changed his sexuality or not is hard to tell. Having a majority of femininity surrounding his life could have certainly made him to be less masculine. Possibly his craving for male attention his whole life could have led his sexuality down a different path than if he had a father figure.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that men might be gay because of "too much mothering" or too little exposure to masculinity is really problematic. After all, plenty of gay men grow up in traditional, nuclear families. Also, I really need to push back against the idea that homosexual=feminine. That's just a false equivalency. I *think* I see the point that Leah is making--that despite Maggie's attempts to make Edward a good man, she can't get what she wants--but it is more complex than "he needed a man around."
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