Could Johnny Tremain Be Gay? Reinterpretation as a Subversive Act

ABSTRACT

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Deep reading
• Disney
• Forbes
• identity formation
• queer theory
• Tremain

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank Katie Kelly, Nick Radel, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments in preparing this manuscript.