Simple Summary of Territory short story:
· Mrs. Campbell has a sign that says: “MOTHERS, FIGHT FORYOUR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS SUPPORT A NO NUCLEAR FUTURE”
· “keeping up the causes of peace and justice is a futile, tiresome, and unrewarding effort; it is therefore an effort fit only for mothers to keep up.”
· Mrs. Campbell is part of a group of mothers that are (other than her) divorced or widowed
· Neil thinks: “Wayne will be here so soon: Will they sleep in the same room? Will they make love? He has never had sex in his parents' house.”
o Neil realized he was gay at 12 when his dog licked him
§ “The day after he told [Mrs. Campbell], she located and got in touch with an organization called the Coalition of Parents of Lesbians and Gays. Within a year, she was president of it.”
§ In college, “He winced at the thought that she knew all his sexual secrets, and vowed to move to the East Coast to escape her.”
· “They hug like brothers; only in the safety of Neil's mother's car do they dare to kiss.”
· “Hecontemplates taking Wayne's hand, then checks himself. He has never doneanything in her presence to indicate that the sexuality he confessed to fiveyears ago was a reality and not an invention.”
· Neilhas gone to a Gay Pride Parade and met Luis
o “Luis possessed the peculiar combination of hypermasculinity and effeminacy which exemplifies f*ggotry. Neil wanted to be rid of him, but Luis's mark was on him, he could see that much. They would become lovers whether Neil liked it or not.”
o His mom was there with supportive signage
o “Neil was never proud. It took him a year to dump Luis, another year to leave California”
· “He is glad his mother knows that he is desired, glad it makes her flinch.”
· They go to the movies all together
· Wayne says Mrs. Campbell is still beautiful then realizes it is weird to say
· Mrs. Campbell says she can only take so much affection
o “I'm very tolerant, very understanding. But I can only take so much."
· Wayne criticizes Neil for complaining about his mom