Sunday, October 30, 2011

Uncle

In the short story Uncle, Jake, a six year old boy, tells the story of his birthday. In his story Jake discusses his admiration for his uncle, a man who easily fits in to society's standards as being a "real man" and also talks about how he and his brother play barber, a game where his brother Vince uses his "magic growing penis" as a razor and shaves Jake's face. When reading this article, it is easy for some to think that Jake is gay due to the fact that he tries to touch his brother's penis and tries to look up his uncles shorts to see his dick. However, the child's actions are not sheer homosexuality as one might be compelled to label them. Instead, i believe that the boy, being subjected to the actions of his brother is simply trying to discover himself as well as understand his body through examination of other men he views as role models. The sheer fact that Jake thinks that the penis is magical because it can grow is a testimony to the fact that jake is simply young and naive and has yet to understand his body.
The fact that jake does not tell his mother or father about the games his brother plays with him although he was never expressly never told not to tell shows that Jake, although not consciously aware of it, has been socialized to believe that such actions are "queer." While he himself does not find them wrong and goes along with the game, not telling an adult about the situations shows his inner fear of the situation.
However, i still do not understand the part about the Jehovah's witness and Satan and why the mother would assume that the uncle was touching the boy in the bathroom. Can someone please help me with this. It went completely over my head.

1 comment:

  1. I think the whole set up of the bathroom scene just lent itself to the wrong interpretation. Jake was crying, and she assumed he had peed himself from fear. Fear perhaps to seeing his uncle naked, etc. Plus, she was already insecurea bout losing something that wasnt clear int he story what she lost. Anyway, that is why I think she freaked out.

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