So far, I have yet to write about The Miseducation of Cameron Post in any of our assignments in the course. One of the main reasons that I was hesitant to write about this text is because there are so many multidimensional, layered themes of adolescent friendship, authority, sexuality, grief, and faith that are intricately interwoven throughout the plot of the text. In many of the other books that we have read, it has been easier and more straightforward to distill a particular concept because they have been more distinguishable.
It was also challenging for me to initially relate to Cameron’s experience since I had a preconceived notion that my own experiences with a friend in the LGBTQIA+ community might conflict with the ideas that were addressed in the novel. In high school, one of my close friends came out to me, and I could tell that it was an extremely difficult experience for her because I was one of the first people that she told. Her parents were quite religious, and she did not want to tell them in fear of what their response might be; I assured her that I would always be there for her regardless of what happened. I don’t believe that she has told her parents yet because she wanted to be financially independent before doing so in the case that they weren’t supportive. When she told me that, I was shocked and angry because I couldn’t believe that people could be so unaccepting of their child’s identity just because of an arbitrarily vague idea from a religious institution. Even though I had this understanding of one of my close friend’s coming out experiences, I was still largely ignorant about the actual holistic experience that a member of the LGBTQIA+ community endures in a period of time that is as turbulent as adolescence. This made me apprehensive about engaging and writing about this book because I was nervous that my experience as a supportive friend did not necessarily warrant me the authority to try to deconstruct and analyze the experiences of a fictional member of this community. However, The Miseducation of Cameron Post exposed me to a narrative that progressed through Cameron’s growth and understanding of her sexuality through her adolescence in a way that reassured me since many of the ideas provided support for my friend’s experience in high school. After reading the text, I was less intimidated and more informed about what one person’s experience with their sexuality could look like, and it allowed me to better empathize and comprehend my own friend’s experience with her parents.
Through our class discussions, I was better able to identify and differentiate between particular character relationships and how these connections were able to illustrate particular facets of adolescent themes that we have encountered in the course. I was initially overwhelmed by the prospect of trying to distill all of these relationships and how they may impact Cameron’s identity and sexuality throughout the novel, but after seeing the thought-provoking discussion questions that we created on the discussion board, I was better able to conceptualize and distinguish the different themes that are thoughtfully integrated throughout the novel. Our discussion regarding Cameron’s different friendships and how they independently influenced her growth into her sexuality and sexual identity helped me to formulate and verbalize how the particular ideas of sexuality and friendship are interconnected and illustrated in the text.
In exploring the comparison between Cameron’s friends in Miles City with her friends at God’s Promise, it was clear that these distinct relationships had lasting impacts on Cameron’s growth and identity through her adolescence. Her friendships with Irene, Lindsey, and Coley were transformative in many different ways, but they most significantly allowed her to explore her sexuality. When this is deconstructed even further, it appears that Cameron’s relationship with Lindsey allowed her to most significantly learn and explore her sexuality while simultaneously forging a strong friendship between the two. However, Cameron’s relationship with Irene and Coley stemmed from a securely founded friendship that blossomed into more sexual relationships that became more volatile as romance was integrated into their relationships. For example, when Cameron tried to covertly come out to Coley for the first time, she was extremely nervous and apprehensive because she feared that doing so may jeopardize their relationship (Danforth 181-182). The only lasting friendship from these three figures was Cameron’s relationship with Lindsey until they ultimately drifted apart when Aunt Ruth cut off their communication with one another. Therefore, it seems like the introduction of a sexual aspect in these relationships sometimes imparted a layer of fragility, whereas other times it fortified the connection between the girls.
Conversely, when one considers Cameron’s relationship with Jane and Adam, there is a distinctive difference in the way that these relationships influence Cameron’s growth and sexuality. Unlike her previous relationships where her sexuality was gradually introduced after an initial friendship was formed, Jane and Adam were already aware of this component of Cameron’s identity since they were at God’s Promise for the same reason. In many ways, this connection seemed to bolster their relationship to one another since the same kind of fragility was not imparted on their friendships. This allowed them to be more open with one another and explore their relationships on a more core level in order to understand who they were and who they though they ought to be. Cameron’s relationship to Jane and Adam helped to liberate her from many of the obstacles that had prevented her from fully embodying herself and living without a protective wall around her identity. While some of this may be attributed to her forced ‘outing’ by Coley, it deals in large part with her relation to Adam and Jane. They are all able to view the practices and philosophies of God’s Promise in a similar light and this helps each of them to rationalize why they are at the program, and it solidifies their common desire to escape. Cameron’s connection with Jane and Adam most significantly influence her growth and understanding of herself because their unity in the face of the manipulative and abusive practices of the conversion camp help Cameron to overcome the grief and betrayal that she has endured as a result of others’ reactions to her sexuality. One of the exemplar cases of this is when Cameron entered Quake Lake to grieve the loss of her parents, and Jane said “You can do this. [Adam and I’ll] be here waiting for you” (Danforth 464). This statement of Jane and Adam’s support of Cameron carry more weight than any kind of superficial words of support that she may have received from her Irene, Lindsey, or Coley; this is a declaration of support of everything Cameron is and who she hopes to be as a result of the friends’ shared experience.
Having been able to better orient my understanding of how the relationships intricately tie into the adolescent themes of the novel, I can now more confidently express how I view these messages in The Miseducation of Cameron Post. Seeing how I was able to deconstruct these involved ideas and address the overwhelming prospect of taking on such a task, I will employ the use of creating discussion questions to guide my literary analysis of similar texts in the future. Additionally, after reading and digesting the novel, I’m able to see that my preconceived notions that my experiences with my friend’s sexuality and the ideas presented in the book don’t conflict at all; if anything, they contribute to one another. Although no two individuals will have the same experience, differences in these experiences do not invalidate or compete with one another, they may just bring another perspective to the conversation. After reading the book and analyzing it in this way, I can better understand the struggles that my friend endures to this day and how her specific experiences with her parents and religiosity are simply a different (not conflicting) experience to Cameron Post’s.
Danforth, Emily M. The Miseducation of Cameron Post. New York: Balzer + Bray, 2012.
By: Liz Timple
Representing Adolescence @ Pitt 