Why The Goldfinch is undoubtedly gay
Now Iāve already written a long-ass serious essay onĀ āhomoromantic subtext in The Goldfinchā, but I still feel the need to talk about this, so thatās exactly what Iām going to do.
The number one extremely important thing you should never forget when interpreting/analyzing Theo, is that heās an incredibly unreliable narrator.Ā
He forgets things due to his extreme use of drugs and alcohol (e.g. he forgot heād shown Boris the goldfinch, THE FUCKING GOLDFINCHĀ you know, the most significant object in the WHOLE novel, the painting that drives most of the plot, the name of this goddAMN BOOK-)
He manipulates reality to fit his purposesĀ
He deals with internalized homophobia
Heās literally intoxicated most of the novel
What this means, is that you shouldnāt blindly trust him. You should always take the things he says with a grain of salt. Especially when it comes to queerness.Ā
Theo and Boris were sexually intimate, and even though Theo tries to convince us that it meant nothing, his true feelings shine through.Ā Also, If a boy is too afraid to tell his doormen heāll miss them because that would be āgayā, you probably shouldnāt believe him when he says he doesnāt have feelings for the boy heās slept with. He tells us about their physical intimacy for the first (and last) time, when heās jealous of Kotku (Borisā girlfriend). If thatās not saying something, then I truly donāt know what is.Ā
And what makes it so clear even before this, that Theoās sexually attracted to Boris, is that heās oogling him all the goddamn time.
on page 307 heās staring at Boris who just so happens to be wearing Theoās underwear and nothing else, on page 284 heās staring at his neck, on page 383 heās staring at his lower abdomen,Ā on page 272 heās staring at his stomach, on page 308 heās staring at his shirtless chest I MEAN COME ON
Okay say youāre still not quite sure about this, I mean maybe the subtextual internalized homophobia was written accidentally? maybe the fans areĀ just reading too much into it? maybe Theo isnāt lying when he says there was nothing there?Ā
if only there was an explicit love confessionā¦ OH WAITĀ
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā T H E R EĀ I S
Theo literally says the wordsĀ āI love youā (about Boris, in the cab) right after getting KISSED on the MOUTH by none other than Boris himself.Ā
When it comes to Boris, I think itās safe to say he was in love with Theo as well. After all, he was the one to drape an arm over Theoās waist, he was the one to kiss Theo, he was the one who wouldāve died for Theo.
The only reason for anyone to still deny the queerness of these characters would be homophobia, plain and simple.
2087
germansingergirl
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