Boy Meets Boy: How Every School Should Be

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Throughout our reading of David Levithan's Boy Meets Boy, I was faced with my own ignorance of the idea of homosexual relationships in adolescents. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel but let my own experiences as an adolescent who witnessed hate towards the LGBTQ+ community cloud the judgment I cast on the novel. In my review, I found that I did not find the book realistic for modern-day adolescents. Levitan's description of Pauls's flamboyant gay world in which there are transgender quarterbacks, elaborate 'dead' themed school dances, and acceptance from almost the whole school seemed rather surreal to me. In further analysis with dialogue from peers, I thought maybe the 'big idea' that Levitan had when creating this novel was possibly portraying to the reader how schools should be. How wonderful of a world would we live in where everyone is accepted for who they are and who they love! Unfortunately, I experienced seeing my homosexual and trans friends ripped to shreds by immature adolescent peers. It seemed my appreciation for the novel was not as much as I hoped for because I was saddened that this love and acceptance are not realistic for adolescents, and probably would only be realistic in a utopian society. However, this novel can serve as a lesson for how we should treat one another- as humans. Regardless of how we look or who we like, we all are human and deserve love. 

Comments

  1. Erin RutherfordSeptember 24, 2021 at 7:46 PM

    I also did not find the book realistic, but I do believe that if students were able to be exposed to more literature like this, perhaps they could be more understanding and accepting of everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender.

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  2. Bailey DuncanSeptember 24, 2021 at 9:23 PM

    Though many of the details in the book may not have been realistically connected to today's world and adolescents, I do believe that schools should be more like in the book. This book would be a good way to expose adolescents to a more accepting and inclusive world where people can love and be who they want and not be judged for it but, instead loved by those around them.

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