Yeah junior hockey leaves no one unscathed, I fear. Tbh I would argue that 18-year-old Jack isn’t saying homophobic things to fit in but actually at the core of himself believes them and is expressing his worldview—“effeminate” gay men don’t scream hockey player, and they deserve to be shamed for it. He, a bisexual man, works hard to scream hockey player which makes him stronger and better. Survival mode indeed.
In my mind Eric’s done a lot of work to rid himself of that shame. That Jack not only believed something Eric’s worked hard to unlearn but also went out of his way to shame him for it is kind of the ultimate betrayal. Intended that to be a gut punch so I’m glad (I guess haha) it landed that way. Anyways sorry for yammering I’m just excited that you mentioned this and picked up on it because it was a really crucial part of Eric’s arc to me! Thank you so much for reading.
Comment on send you back home with a light that's beaming
speedboat on Chapter 3 Tue 17 Jun 2025 05:10AM UTC
Last Edited Tue 17 Jun 2025 05:11AM UTC
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