Could Johnny Tremain Be Gay? Reinterpretation as a Subversive Act

Members of sexual minority groups confront a dearth of fictional characters in k-12 curricula with whom they can feel any affinity, particularly in regard to sexual orientation. This is especially problematic for readers who are at odds with themselves and/or society over cultural constructions of n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of homosexuality 2021-02, Vol.68 (3), p.476-495
Main Author: Henderson, A. Scott
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activism
Affinity
Curricula
Deep reading
Disney
Female
Fictional characters
Forbes
Gays & lesbians
Heteronormativity
Heterosexuality
History, 20th Century
Humans
Identity formation
Literature, Modern - history
Male
Mass media images
Minority groups
Psychological Theory
Queer theory
Self esteem
Sexual and Gender Minorities - history
Sexual and Gender Minorities - psychology
Sexual orientation
Sexuality
Tremain
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Summary:Members of sexual minority groups confront a dearth of fictional characters in k-12 curricula with whom they can feel any affinity, particularly in regard to sexual orientation. This is especially problematic for readers who are at odds with themselves and/or society over cultural constructions of normalcy. Queer theory can address this issue by encouraging readers to contest the putative heteronormativity in works of literature. The perennially popular novel Johnny Tremain provides such an opportunity. Though the author, Esther Forbes, depicts the main protagonist as heterosexual, a queer analysis of the novel and comparison to the subsequent film version by Walt Disney suggest that other interpretations are possible. This is significant because healthy identity formation can be fostered by encountering positive portrayals of fictional individuals like oneself. Moreover, promoting self-esteem is consistent with the praxis - the "activist agenda" - that has become an important element of queer criticism.
ISSN:0091-8369
1540-3602
DOI:10.1080/00918369.2019.1656508