A Rose For Charlie Analysis

“A Rose for Charlie” is just one of countless examples of why tribalism is extremely harmful in modern society. Back when humans were scrambling for resources, it was necessary to fear one’s surroundings (i.e. when survival wasn’t guaranteed, humans needed to be wary of the unknown), but with today’s accommodations and tricks to cheat death, there’s no need for people to hang on to their preconceived notions of how people should be and act. Unfortunately, that kind of instinctive reactionary attitude is exactly what killed any hope Charlie Howard had for any true security in his identity and life.
In this handout, it’s clear Charlie wasn’t noticed for much aside from his femininity by others. In his childhood he’d struggled with his “classmates’ taunts and sneers” at his “fair-haired and small-boned” appearance. And when he couldn’t join his peers in traditionally masculine activities like sports due to his severe asthma, the insults jumped from laughing and pointing to physical assault and slurs. And later, in adulthood, he was still treated as if he was lower than others (e.g. “jobs were scarce in Portsmouth, especially for someone who made no secret of being gay”, “kids baited
While he had a few openly queer friends through Interweave, a Unitarian Church group, there was still the “covert” aspect of his identity. And despite the idea that people are stronger in groups, almost no one was willing to stand up for queer rights in fear of being assaulted or killed (especially because of the developing HIV crisis of the early 1980’s). That’s why Charlie felt alone in the world; no one was willing to step up and risk their life for the progression of the Queer Rights Movement. And because of a lack of unity within the LGBTQ+ community of Bangor, Maine, queer people continued to be considered oddities, resulting in their dehumanization by other Bangor