Thursday, October 27, 2011

Blood Brothers?

“'So – now it is over.' Hofmanstahal's voice was soft; his hands were warm on Craig's shoulders.. 'So it ends – our little idyll.' The hands tightened. 'My friend... my friend, before the ship comes, the men and the noise, the work and the worry and all that goes with it, let us for the last time -'

His head bent, his lips found Craig's throat with their almost sexual avidity.” (118)


I think this quote addresses most explicitly the homosexual undertones present throughout Share Alike. As the two men create their idyllic isolated world, the rules and boundaries of society fade and they allow themselves to form a “strange intimacy” through Hofmanstahal's nightly feeding. Craig thinks of Hofmanstahal very tenderly, describing him as “the sensitive vampire” who brings him “peace,” “satisfaction,” and “fulfillment.” Craig and Hofmanstahal's intimacy grows until “the life they nurtured” in the form of blood becomes “a single flow and purpose between them.” Craig seems to relish the fact that “he was part of Hofmanstahal” and “Hofmanstahal was a part of him,” even calling the feeling “lascivious.” This act of sharing life is “almost sexual” in nature – sex is often thought of as 'becoming one' with another. Vampirism in Share Alike could be read as a symbol for homosexuality; while Craig is happy in his vampiric relationship with Hofmanstahal, he feels a constant guilt over the disgust that his father and the church would feel if they knew of his 'sinful' actions. I think this internal conflict between what feels right and what society tells us is right mirrors those of many closeted homosexuals. At the end of the story, Craig's fear of others' disapproval prevails over his intimacy with Hofmanstahal. As the ship approaches, so do the judgmental eyes of society; unable to handle the “disgust” of the men aboard “if they should see him,” Craig destroys their relationship in order regain “normalcy and sanity” – perhaps at the cost of his own happiness.

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