Relationships

Jenkins’ interpersonal relationships are integral to his life and personal experiences; he explores relationships as necessary, but also as prone to both positive and negative dynamics. For example, Jenkins’ relationships with his parents are mostly positive and functional, but they are also defined by some persistent underlying tensions. In the case of his relationship with his mother, there is tension because she does not approve of his homosexuality. In his relationship to his father, there is some tension due to the fact that he cheated on and divorced Jenkins’ mother. Regardless, Jenkins decides to give his parents the benefit of the doubt and strive to maintain his relationships with them in spite of persistent elements of dysfunction. His parents are not justified in their harmful actions, but Jenkins prioritizes the positive aspects of these relationships over the negative ones. His father once said to him, “You can hate...