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the little death by michael nava (Characters (Terry ormes: Detective that…
the little death by michael nava
Setting
Linden, California
San Francisco
Hugh's home
Often described as dark and lonely. He didn't feel happy in his own home very impersonal. Doesn't go back there much and most of the story is not spent. Major changes that happen in the novel do happen there.
Henrys home
San jose
Where henry ones worked but was sent back to hometown.
POV
First person point of view. With some kind of narration. We only get Henrys perspective on events throughout but we do get a sense on what other characters are feeling. However, it does bring up the question on if there was more to the story then what we knew. There was so many perspectives that we didn't get to see. What did characters actually feel. Henry is a fairly stable character but often drinking and was mentions in the beginning that he was having some problems with his mental health
Could it be a half novel? Not really in a sense that there was one story to tell
Different that we see the life of a lawyer to the eyes of a gay protagonist. He sees the injustice involved with homosexuality but doesn't make it the most prominent topic. He showed it more as what loves makes u do which is no different to any other kind of love.
https://michaelnavawriter.com/author/
: about the author
https://www.lambdaliterary.org/features/news/10/10/author-michael-nava-on-creating-the-iconic-gay-character-henry-rios/
:Themes
https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/history
:Gay mv history
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1086296X15568930
:classification of lgbtq novels
Characters
Henry Rios: Protagonist and overall hero of the story. Influenced by one lover that he sets out in a vendetta to avenge his death. Hugh death was the beginning. Series of events that changed henry as character. Hugh brought shadows and grief with him. Henry trying so hard to prove that he had a reason for being who he was. Was enraptured in a world and a problem that wasnt his own. Pain changes people and henry isnt the type of person to give up on something that he believes. Trying to regain that faith that justice will be served to all.
Hugh: Henrys lover. Heir to a huge fortune, paranoid that his family is out to kill him. Very mysterious and we only find out about him through henry. Sexually abused by his grandfather- cause huge amount of psychological pain in the young boy. No sense of direction. Killed. Blamed on overdose by find out that his family planned the murder. Huge influence in the henrys character. Catalyst to series of events.
Terry ormes: Detective that helps Henry through his journey. Supporter in the crazy story that henry conjures up. Seemed to be a kind of connection between Terry and Henry. Both minorities in a world that is extremely conservative. Terry being a women in the police force and henry a gay latino lawyer. Yet, they themselves dont seem to feel the oppressive force that people form this era certainly felt.
pg. 122 " We're both different, Terry... Its our competence that makes us outsiders, not the fact that you're a woman cop or I'm a gay lawyer."
Aaron Gold: Old friend of Henry. Has huge prejudice and doesnt seem to accept that fact that henry is gay. Supporting character that tries to stop henry from setting out into wild goose chase. Yet he finds evidence that send henry further into it all. Ends up killed. His being the final death. Probably the last straw. He was henrys voice of reason.
Grant: Henry's rich ex-boyfriend form college. Then we later find out also hughs lover at some point in the past. There for henry when he needs him most. Friendship that never ended and sometimes more. Gives henry the final idea to sue Robert Paris which unravels the whole story.
Robert Paris: Pawn being used as a cover for a worst result. Did begin overall scheme but no the brains of everything. Henry held huge feelings of hate towards this man only to find that most things he accused him of weren't orchestrated by him.
John Smith: Name speaks power. Same name as the american soldier that played a huge role in the establishment of Jamestown colony back when the US was still under british rule. Many similarities. John smith is a powerful man with full control of the empire that he leads. Nothing happens without him knowing. Overall ruler of the city.
Katherine and Nicholas Paris. Nicholas didn't play a very important role in the grand scheme of things. Katherine much either. A bitter, lonely women that just wanted to live her life peacefully. At end was the ultimate supporter of henry because without her support henrys plan would have been impossible.
Henry Howard: Wise old man that knew many stories from the past. A sort of guiding hand for Rios to get closer to discovering the truth behind the deaths in hughs families.
Sonny Patterson: DA that henry asked for help many times. Not supporter or main character in Henrys journey but did provide some help when henry most needed it.
Style and language.
Not very creative novel compared to others read. Straightforward and to the point. Has a sense of mystery but extremely predictable behavior. Had some older words present. Makes sense since written much before.
Subthemes
Homosexuality
Subtle in a way because he doesnt describe the gay scenes in great detail. Doesn't outright advocate for gay rights. Yet by even being written novels goes against societies norms
His sexuality didn't make him any different than any other lawyer, yet it did. Back then it was a crime and huge mental issue to be gay. Could be sent to jail for it.
Not a coming out story because he had already come out and he was comfortable with his sexuality. Crazy and groundbreaking in the way that in the 1980s there was a minimum amount of openly gay authors and lawyers that were comfortable stating their sexuality so boldly.
Death
In ironic sense mentioned as an euphemism for an orgasm. Many character deaths that drove the story forward. Allowed Henry to begin his journey to the end of corruption in the system he believed in.
Justice
Yearned justice for his love but in reality he didn't allow himself to grief in the way that a normal person would grief. He channeled all his energy into following loose clues with no actual idea that he was going in the correct way. In some kind of luck and support actually figured out the truth.
Grief
To overcome his grief he couldn't let the death go unsolved. Couldn't accept the fact that he could have saved him if he believed in him
Yearning for the truth
mental health
beginning of novel accused of being mentally ill and not prepared to return to work. Subtle way to speak about his sexuality. In old times being homosexual was considered a mental illness that can have them sent to a mental institute. This book was written post- chicano movement and post- LGBTQ+ movements which occured in the 1950-1970s. This book was written during the huge epidemic of AIDS that hit the community but no mention of it
Secrets
Mystery novel many secrets that begin to unravel. The unravel of all the secrets provided not necessarily a happy ending but a satisfactory one.
Corruption
Important poeople of power with money being the soul leaders of the city with all the information and payed off all the characters that knew too much.
Highly sexual tones
Not many but some amount of erotic encounters where the queer characters immediately knew that they were in the same boat. A quick recognition of each other based on how they acted because straight people treated them differently.
Classification
Highly autobiographical in the sense that the author uses a his alot of his background in the novel including the profession and sexuality of the main character.
Mystery
Homosexual
Theme
Alienation from a world that doesn't outright accept him which leads to his own liberation while trying to overcome his grief by getting justice.
Structure
Internal Structure
Most chapters range from a 14-16 pages length.
External Structure
10 Chapters. A very even number often represented as a full circle. the return to unity.
Ch. 1 The introduction: where we see that Henry is loosing his purpose. Ch.2 hes liberating himself and finding a new purpose. As the story goes on a purpose it decided for him but he still makes it his own. the world he knew in ch.1 Was completely different from the world that he knew in chapter 10. Ch.10 where he found that unity ones again and solve the case that he couldnt let go of. Knows that wont end his grief and hope to bring hugh back but some resolution.