DMt. wrote:It's a family of males, but it's still a family. I wonder if a woman will manifest at some point.
It would have to be an extremely open-minded, brave, and patient sort of woman. Putting up with Dawson and Eli at the same time would be challenging. As I try to express in my writing, I consider Eli to be the female influence in the 'family,' by her own choice.
This comment from another thread,
and these from yet another thread,DMt. wrote:Prepubertal sexuality isn't specifically genital, but that doesn't mean it isn't sexuality; nor does it mean it's not pure, IMO, even if it does get a bit contaminated with socially-imposed prurience[s].
are a major component of my interpretation of Oskar and Eli’s relationship.DMt. wrote:This is absolutely key to the theme, I think. The boundary between sexuality and physical affection is a fuzzy one at best [for me anyway] and Eli, though asexual in any genital sense, is nonetheless evidently capable of affection, even passion, as is Oskar.gattoparde59 wrote:It seems as though we are confusing physical affection with sexuality. I reckon the reverse sort of confusion also happens.
Eli’s relationship with Dawson is also a bit complicated. She sees him as a replacement for her long-lost family, someone she can seek comfort from and who she can turn to for answers when her ethical conflicts become too much for her to handle; consequently, she feels the urge to protect him and watch over him. (a 'motherly' instinct? ) Oskar’s relationship with Dawson is much simpler. (He is, after all, just 12 years old) Dawson is the father Oskar has always wanted and needed.