Already the titular literal closet is done away with, and we see that the title of the narrative refers to broader themes. Most obviously, Rufus was “trapped in the closet” as well; he was carrying out a secret gay romance, but he has exposed it to Cathy and R. Kelly so that they might see that their infidelity cannot make a fool of him. One could also see “the closet” as a metaphor for all the sneaking and deception carried out by the various adulterous characters: the closet is the thing that keeps R. Kelly and Rufus’s adulterous affairs hidden.
The chapter starts out with one of the narrative’s most telling expositions of the themes of deception and adultery. Rufus stares at R. Kelly “as if he was staring in the mirror.” In R. Kelly, Rufus sees himself: tricky, adulterous, and cocky. Rufus’s anger at R. Kelly is probably not centered upon the fact that he had relations with his wife, but is more probably a product of Rufus’s own insecurities. In R. Kelly, he sees his ugly reflection.
R. Kelly’s uneasy relationship with God is further illuminated in Chapter Two. Upon Rufus’s revelation that he is a pastor, R. Kelly once again tries to use his fair-weather faith to weasel his way out of a difficult situation. He suggests that he and Rufus work out the situation “Christian-like,” but is seemingly unaware of the irony of his statement, considering that he has just committed adultery and is currently threatening a pastor with a gun.
Little insight is gained into Cathy’s personality in this chapter. She seems to be overwhelmed with the situation, and her gift for trickery fails her when she is confronted with her husband’s anger and R. Kelly’s needless violent threats.
Already the titular literal closet is done away with, and we see that the title of the narrative refers to broader themes. Most obviously, Rufus was “trapped in the closet” as well; he was carrying out a secret gay romance, but he has exposed it to Cathy and R. Kelly so that they might see that their infidelity cannot make a fool of him. One could also see “the closet” as a metaphor for all the sneaking and deception carried out by the various adulterous characters: the closet is the thing that keeps R. Kelly and Rufus’s adulterous affairs hidden. The chapter starts out with one of the narrative’s most telling expositions of the themes of deception and adultery. Rufus stares at R. Kelly “as if he was staring in the mirror.” In R. Kelly, Rufus sees himself: tricky, adulterous, and cocky. Rufus’s anger at R. Kelly is probably not centered upon the fact that he had relations with his wife, but is more probably a product of Rufus’s own insecurities. In R. Kelly, he sees his ugly reflection.
R. Kelly’s uneasy relationship with God is further illuminated in Chapter Two. Upon Rufus’s revelation that he is a pastor, R. Kelly once again tries to use his fair-weather faith to weasel his way out of a difficult situation. He suggests that he and Rufus work out the situation “Christian-like,” but is seemingly unaware of the irony of his statement, considering that he has just committed adultery and is currently threatening a pastor with a gun.
Little insight is gained into Cathy’s personality in this chapter. She seems to be overwhelmed with the situation, and her gift for trickery fails her when she is confronted with her husband’s anger and R. Kelly’s needless violent threats.
Insight provided by Dr. David Thorpe