Comparisons: Go Tell It On the Mounta – Louisa Gaylord

Contents:

• LOUISA GAYLORD
• GAY AND GODLY: G TO J JAM BALDW'S GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTA.

LOUISA GAYLORD

Although John's feelg uld very well belong to a young heterosexual male puberty, is also possible that they are John's emergg feelgs of homosexualy, a subtle subtext that is never directly nonted but that is woven to the story.

Baldw do not state directly that John is gay, but there are many stanc which suggt that he may be. That John's view of Elisha durg this cint is more sexual than spirual do not prove fively that John is homosexual.

GAY AND GODLY: G TO J JAM BALDW'S GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTA.

" Neverthels, the possibily of John's emergg homosexualy adds nuanc to his stggle to fd a place for himself his body, his home, and his life.

The relatnship between sex and moraly is further plited wh the implitn of John’s homosexualy. So John's homosexual sire is somethg that he knows he mt hi and that will e nflict wh his fay and church if he acts on . John seems to have a special csh on Elisha, the preacher's nephew, who is cidly not gay.

As a gay man the 1930s, that's not exactly an optn for John… unls he cis to stay the closet forever.