Two Short Stories: Danny in Transit & Columbia

This paper examines several concepts relevant to social work study which are raised in two short stories, David Leavitt's "Danny in Transit" and Jacquelyn Holt Park's "Columbia." Both stories offer sensitive and unique perspectives on the concept of homosexual identity formation and adolescent personality development. Both illustrate some of the personal and societal barriers faced by an individual coming to terms with a homosexual identity. "Danny in Transit" also provides insight into the effects of such identity recognition within a family and a boy about to enter adolescence, as he faces the subsequent breakdown of his family. These issues are important to social work because they present challenges, concerns, and prejudices which a contemporary social worker is likely to face in the course of providing help to both clients and their families. As more homosexuals are able to "come out of the closet," the barriers they continue to face are important for the informed social worker to understand and work to overcome.

While both stories were published in 1991, Jacquelyn Holt Park's "Columbia" is set in the summer of 1956, a time when homosexuality was still classified as psychiatric disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. Although this classification was discontinued in 1973, Park demonstrates how little social progress has been achieved by withholding the date of her story until the final sentence; "Columbia" could easily have taken place in present-day New

Related Essays

Television Comedians .... George Burns and Gracie Allen, and Danny Thomas, among .... The producers seek stories that reflect concerns they .... troupe would perform one or two short pieces plus .... (2872 11 )

Misogyny in John Steinbeck's Books .... Pastures of Heaven (1932), a group of short stories depicting a .... and Men (1937), a tragic story of .... itinerant farm .... house of the poor but carefree Danny in a .... (4290 17 )

Commercial Animation Directors .... of Jones's own use of stories in his short films, stories .... Tex Avery then used the characters for .... shorts, and .... He drew on the stories told him by his Uncle .... (2389 10 )

Mass and Serial Murders .... including three former co-workers or employers), .... of whom .... the "cooling-off" period is extremely short (or may .... He wonders whether the stories of "witches and .... (9226 37 )

dentity (p. 90). Behavior, in her definition, is less important that unexpressed erotic response. Identity becomes defined through behavior, and an individual may choose (or attempt to choose) behavior which contradicts more fundamental impulses. Yet the individual who attempts such denial risks an extraordinary degree of conflict and stress. Allen provides an intriguing example of this. Despite his homosexual orientation, he tried to make himself heterosexual. He courted and married a woman, had a child with her, and spent the early years of the marriage having romantic dinners with her, playing his role convincingly. Ultimately, however, he was denying a part of himself. The strain of this pretense destroyed the trusting relationship with his wife and led him, finally, to divorce her and come out of the closet. He appears to have suffered less from his actions than did his wife and son, who were unwillingly included in his lie and forced to play roles in his fantasy life. While a therapeutic program might have effectively helped Allen to come out, it is needed even more to help his family cope with the betrayal of trust that his initial denial caused them. Hetrick and Martin (1988) note that research has shown little ov

Category: Literature - T