At the start of Dream Boy Roy's character set off multiple red flags. Roy portrayed the classic role of over protected boyfriend, and boyfriend who cheats. Roy constantly questioned Nathan's past love life but was never open to conversation about his. Roy ran off to church on Wednesdays with his girlfriend but would tell Nathan to not let anyone else touch him the way he did. Jealous and authoritative, the main characteristics of the abuser in a relationship. In the bus, in the car ride home when Roy cried I wanted to Nathan to run!
As the novel moved forward and Nathan was left in the cold Roy really stepped up. Roy sheltered Nathan in his barn. A more loving side of Roy shinned through. Although Nathan has always been an easy target he was most vulnerable during this time. Instead of Roy taking advantage of that, Roy evolved. We can see this change into Roy and Nathan's last moments together. Roy kneels before Nathan for the first time in the mansion. Roy physically leaves his girlfriend's side to be with Nathan's ghost. Not the real Nathan, his ghost.
I do not know if we can take Roy out of the toxic category all together. However I think we can acknowledge he did change for the better.
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ReplyDeleteParker, I agree with you and also think that Roy did change for the better when we take his circumstances into account. To me, Nathan's death opened up Roy's eyes to see where his heart truly lies. It is a shame, however, that it took Nathan's death for him to realize what he should have realized from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteI see two reasons why I think we should say that Roy could be taken out of the toxic category.
ReplyDeleteMy first reason requires us to accept the ending of the novel as valid and not just a throwaway. At the end, we see Roy leaving his church (which in particular was something Nathan was worried about) and his girlfriend, and instead embraces a gay lifestyle with Nathan. I think that makes up for one of Roy's biggest problems, is that he did try to have a relationship with Nathan while keeping it strictly private. I don't know if Nathan would have wanted to have a publicly gay relationship, but the reason I don't know is because Roy shut down the possibility entirely and didn't give Nathan the choice. The end shows a complete reversal of that, and instead of publicly pretending like he isn't interested in Nathan, he shows everyone that he is.
The second reason that I think Roy redeemed himself is because I thought the camping trip was legitimate. Like you sort of implied in class, Roy might have planned/invited Nathan to the camping trip to help him stay away from home. On the trip, Roy and Nathan had sex, and Roy not only didn't distance himself from Nathan like he normally would after having an intimate moment - which is what I consider to be his biggest character flaw - but he also seemed like wanted to be around him more and was protective of him the next day. Also during the camping trip, like you pointed out, Roy asked Nathan if it bothered him that he never returned oral sex. Later, while they were alone in the mansion, Roy proceeded to give Nathan oral sex without even hinting that he expected Nathan to return the favor. I think that's a symbol of him changing for the better. This, more so than the first reason, is why I think we can say that Roy redeemed himself.