So in Rebel Without A Cause was Sal Mineo's character, Plato, gay? Or was he just really messed up by his parents? From what I could tell he was almost always left in the care of the maid or others while his parents went where ever they wanted. It seemed to me that they had long ago rejected him, like they never wanted him to begin with. I could see that as neglect (granted a privileged neglect), a type of child abuse, something that lead Plato into being unstable.
From my own experience I know that some parents, fathers primarily, do have problems relating to, and bonding with, their child if they perceive him to be gay. Luckily my father and mother had suspected my homosexuality and had come to accept it before I came out to them. Not everyone is so lucky.
I can see both happening to Plato, the tragic figure of the movie. Having parents who were rejecting him because they didn't want him then feeling that their son was gay just made their leaving him behind that much easier.
Then along comes Jim (James Dean). A guy who he could relate to and who could relate to him. Poor Plato, a young boy just looking for acceptance, and maybe love, but after years of neglect was unable to handle the stress that he, Jim and Judy found themselves in. I don't think he was able to handle Jim and Judy getting closer either.
So was Plato gay? Or was he just looking for acceptance? Or was he just unstable due to neglect by the rejection he felt from his parents? Or maybe even all three?
From my own experience I know that some parents, fathers primarily, do have problems relating to, and bonding with, their child if they perceive him to be gay. Luckily my father and mother had suspected my homosexuality and had come to accept it before I came out to them. Not everyone is so lucky.
I can see both happening to Plato, the tragic figure of the movie. Having parents who were rejecting him because they didn't want him then feeling that their son was gay just made their leaving him behind that much easier.
Then along comes Jim (James Dean). A guy who he could relate to and who could relate to him. Poor Plato, a young boy just looking for acceptance, and maybe love, but after years of neglect was unable to handle the stress that he, Jim and Judy found themselves in. I don't think he was able to handle Jim and Judy getting closer either.
So was Plato gay? Or was he just looking for acceptance? Or was he just unstable due to neglect by the rejection he felt from his parents? Or maybe even all three?
