Closeted Homosexual Men

The novel’s four main characters, whose attitudes and actions motivate both of the book’s narrative lines, are all men experiencing same-sex attraction. In addition, all four characters are closeted, albeit to varying degrees. This means that each man is, in one way or another, in denial about his sexual identity. That denial is a prime motivator of the action in both narrative lines, and is a defining characteristic of the novel’s overall thematic consideration of male same-sex relationships. That consideration ultimately suggests that such relationships inevitably result in suffering, no matter how much genuine longing, affection, or connection exists between the individuals involved.

The least actively present, and least closeted, of the four characters is Greg Tampico. His sexuality is portrayed as being something of an open secret, which means that his orientation is relatively well-known, but not much spoken about. He is...