I swear, I don't know what's going on with the sports literature - specifically, football. I don't keep planning this. And I still skim over the description of the games. I ran across this one via my hometown library's e-book access (and if you use any library in TN, you oughta find out if they're a member of the R.E.A.D.S system). It's about a gay high school quarterback (Bobby) dealing with the after-effects of being outted at the beginning of his senior year.
First, what I liked - the narrative was solid. Never once did I fail to believe Bobby's voice. And it's good to see gay characters breaking the stereotype, and his being gay becoming just part of who he is (his last spoken line at the end is wonderful).
But...I just didn't buy into the whole scenario. I mean, ok, it's southern California. I get that things might be a bit more progressive there than, say, at the high school I went to. But really, it all just seemed too easy. Bobby's close friends are a little shocked at first, but just in the way that anyone reacts when told something so major (especially at 17). Then they're fine. His coach and mom, well, their reactions are less than perfect (mainly denial, but none of that "I have no son" business), but they come around quickly. And his dad is completely supportive, but this could be because he is diagnosed with cancer halfway through the book.
Then the whole school finds out, and, save for, like, 6 of his teammates, people are clapping for the guy for coming out (which was accidental, though they aren't aware of that). The whole concept was that the kids had less of a problem with Bobby's being gay due to being raised in a more gay-friendly culture than their parents. That was true for some of them, but it seemed to Bobby's friends/teammates, that it was more because of who he was - their friend.
So while I believed Bobby, I didn't believe anyone else. And that makes me wonder...is the author, Bill Konigsberg, writing about what would happen, or what should happen? Most of the conflict Bobby runs into is in his own mind - it's his issue with being gay, not anyone else's. At least, not anyone he's close to. How is it that Bobby's coach can go from "you're just confused" to "hey, no problem, we're all a family!" in a handful of weeks? Or that his mom can turn her perspective around overnight?
Then there's a major issue that was skirted over - Finch, the school newspaper reporter and all-around invisible man, is the one who outs Bobby in his column. He does so to have an impressive writing sample to send in with his college applications. He tells Bobby it was also to do him a favor (since Bobby was in agony over whether or not to tell anyone). Bobby, understandably, is furious at Finch, but eventually realizes Finch gave him the opportunity to "change the world" for gay male athletes.
But before Bobby has this epiphany, he confronts Finch about the betrayal. Finch says that Bobby doesn't get it - that everyone loves a "jock" and he can do no wrong. But Finch will always be ignored, and basically, were the situation reversed, the outcome would've been different.
Now, that's something interesting to bring up - how maybe certain things only matter in high school if you're not top dog. Or maybe if you don't act like they matter - or maybe if you're the one to break the news. But the idea ends there. Bobby writes a follow-up article explaining that Finch broken confidence, but ultimately says he thanks him for it. And that's that - the whole "it wouldn't be like this for everyone" allusion is over.
Why didn't Konigsberg follow up on that one? And if we're writing about how things should be - about how most kids will basically be understanding, and adults will come around - why give some unresolved mention that this is typically not how things are?
Maybe I'm wrong on this one. Maybe there's been enough exposure to where, for the most part, the negative backlash for gay teens is inner turmoil. Not that that makes life easy, but it's a big step up from the days of inner turmoil AND getting thrown out of the house AND getting beaten up at school AND being told you're going to hell. That's progress...isn't it?
Still, though, I'm not sure this was the most realistic depiction of a coming-out story. If Konigsberg was just going to depict a few months in Bobby's life (that just happen to overlap with his coming out) and not try and convey a message about sexuality, it would be one thing. But the message is there, and it just seems to be lost in the idealism of what should happen when an athlete comes out.
(Sans the Fred Phelps scene.)
Overall, not a waste of my morning, but not the best thing I've read all year.
-B.
No comments:
Post a Comment