In her quest to understand what it means to be gay, Ellen discovers the existence of unwritten social rules regarding homosexuality. And as she does, Ellen ponders and evaluates the idea that whom you love can be taboo—and the ways in which society makes these decisions en masse and then enforces them without most people even noticing. As Ellen gradually comes to understand what it means to be marginalized in My Heartbeat, and how a society that claims to be intelligent and evolved can still act with prejudice, she applies her newfound awareness to the struggle plagues her older brother.
Questions About Society
- Which bothers Ellen more, the fact that society creates unwritten laws about homosexuality, or the fact that her dad adheres to them?
- How does the society in which Ellen is raised impact her awareness? Would she be more or less aware of social taboos if she lives someplace else?
- Why does Ellen have such a hard time understanding social cues? Does she develop more social awareness as the story progresses?
Chew on This
If society truly supported homosexuality, Ellen's dad would be totally onboard.
Even if society started unequivocally accepting homosexuality, Dad would still be against Link being gay.