With R. Kelly, Rufus, and Chuck now decidedly “out of the closet,” the situation erupts into conflict and violence. R. Kelly seems incredibly conflicted in this chapter; his initial instinct is to leave, but Cathy manages to convince him to stay by appealing to his curiosity. R. Kelly is both repulsed and intrigued by Rufus’s affair with Chuck; just as Rufus saw elements of himself in R. Kelly, R. Kelly clearly sees parallels to his own situation in Rufus and Chuck’s romance.While he initially agreed to stay in the hope of witnessing an interesting dramatic spectacle, he became more and more eager to leave when Rufus and Cathy began fighting. It becomes clear that R. Kelly has a strange aversion to conflict. Although he could leave at any time (since he has a gun and nothing to gain by staying), he seems to be staying in Rufus and Cathy’s apartment only to act as a mediator. He repeatedly demands that they stop fighting, although their affairs are truly none of his concern. This provides crucial insight into R. Kelly’s character: the combination of habitual infidelity and extreme distaste for arguments among couples suggests that he was the product of a dysfunctional family, probably involving an abusive and unfaithful father. This might explain why R. Kelly demands to be in control at all times.
Although he is a Casanova himself, R. Kelly has an obvious aversion to being played. He becomes hurt when it is revealed that Cathy didn’t use her real name when she courted him at the nightclub, even though it has little bearing on his situation. Although he is unfaithful himself, he is stunned when, at the end of the chapter, a man answers the telephone at his house.
With R. Kelly, Rufus, and Chuck now decidedly “out of the closet,” the situation erupts into conflict and violence. R. Kelly seems incredibly conflicted in this chapter; his initial instinct is to leave, but Cathy manages to convince him to stay by appealing to his curiosity. R. Kelly is both repulsed and intrigued by Rufus’s affair with Chuck; just as Rufus saw elements of himself in R. Kelly, R. Kelly clearly sees parallels to his own situation in Rufus and Chuck’s romance.While he initially agreed to stay in the hope of witnessing an interesting dramatic spectacle, he became more and more eager to leave when Rufus and Cathy began fighting. It becomes clear that R. Kelly has a strange aversion to conflict. Although he could leave at any time (since he has a gun and nothing to gain by staying), he seems to be staying in Rufus and Cathy’s apartment only to act as a mediator. He repeatedly demands that they stop fighting, although their affairs are truly none of his concern. This provides crucial insight into R. Kelly’s character: the combination of habitual infidelity and extreme distaste for arguments among couples suggests that he was the product of a dysfunctional family, probably involving an abusive and unfaithful father. This might explain why R. Kelly demands to be in control at all times. Although he is a Casanova himself, R. Kelly has an obvious aversion to being played. He becomes hurt when it is revealed that Cathy didn’t use her real name when she courted him at the nightclub, even though it has little bearing on his situation. Although he is unfaithful himself, he is stunned when, at the end of the chapter, a man answers the telephone at his house.
Insight provided by Dr. David Thorpe