← All themes
Bertram Cope’s Year · Theme
Gender Roles and Sexuality
How Bertram Cope’s Year develops Gender Roles and Sexuality.
The text explores rigid gender expectations through the 'entertaining' young women and the scandalized reaction to Lemoyne's feminine portrayal, while Cope's intense bond with Lemoyne suggests a coded exploration of same-sex attraction in early 20th-century America.
Where it surfaces
- XXVII: Cope Escapes a Snare
Hortense's emotional outburst and Cope's rejection challenge traditional gender expectations; Hortense's critique of Cope's friendship with Lemoyne hints at societal attitudes toward male intimacy.
- XXXI: Cope Gets New Light on His Chum
Lemoyne's feminine portrayal and offstage advances challenge conventional masculinity, provoking violent rejection and institutional censure.