> > I'd say it is also a motivating factor in his
opinion about homosexuals.
> He is uncomfortable with women who define themselves
by their sexuality,
> wouldn't he be equally offended by men who do the
same? The
> classification alone means the group is defined by
their sexual
> preferences. Add that the main stereotype of gay
men, even now, but
> especially then, is that they act feminine and the
problem for Marlowe
> becomes that they are nothing more than tarts in
male drag.>
i would guess that you'd get a LOT of argument from gay men
about your contention that they define themselves by their
sexuality. that strikes me as a rather offensive
generalization, but i'll leave it at that.
the issue of marlowe's homophobia is interesting to me,
particularly in light of his very odd relationship with red
in FAREWELL MY LOVELY. the relationship is very brief, but it
is arguably the closest one marlowe has in any of the novels.
he tells red "a great deal more than i intended," blaming it
on his "violet eyes." the interaction, in my opinion, is very
much presented as a romance-- two kindred spirits who
recognize each other and fall instantly into an uncommonly
intimate honesty. i don't suggest for a second that there is
anything sexual in the it, but the unexpected, urgent
closeness is very unusual in the character, and certainly
deserves close examination.
martha
sakana@swbell.net <mailto:
sakana@swbell.net>
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