Saeed Jones’s poem “ Boy Found Inside a Wolf’ starts with a description of Jones fighting his way out of his father’s body (or the “wolf” in this poem). Through this, Jones references the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Jones, like Riding Hood, is an inexperienced young individual who is still finding themselves in a complex world because of this, they depend on the authority figures in their life to help them understand the world and their role in it. Unfortunately, not all adults have their well-being in mind which can lead them to difficult places in life. In Riding Hood’s case, she is misled and later consumed by the wolf. Jones opens his poem by using this as a metaphor for his life. Starting with his repetition of “ red” and “black”, he creates a vivid image of the gruesome and uncomfortable conditions of the body that he is fighting his way out of. (Jones 13) Jones also emphasizes the feeling of suffocation he experiences in his “father’s body” as a way of metaphorically representing the nature of his father’s expectations, restrictive and overbearing on Jones’s gender expression and sexuality. Jones being trapped in his “father’s body” also represents his father’s attempts to make Jones like him, to the point where he feels trapped in his father’s sense of self.
Similar to Jones, Eve Sedgwick also discusses the relationship between queer kids and authority figures or parents. She writes about how unaccepting and hateful parents can be towards their queer kids, to the point of either isolating themselves from Queer adults or rejecting them from the family. Jones and Sedgewick’s discussion of the influence of familial relationships on queer kids and their sense of self highlights this common theme in LGBTQ+ literature and experiences. More specifically, Jones’s poem highlights how despite parents’ attempts to change their children, these attempts are futile as a true sense of self can not be stopped. He shows this resistance through his fist breaking through the wolf’s body, showing how despite numerous challenges queer people face, they will always continue to resist and create change. (Jones 13)
I appreciate your analysis of Jones’ use of allusion. I wonder if Jones’ poem could also be referencing “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” as well. He writes, “in what I thought was home” (13). The use of “thought” introduces a questioning tone, much like how the village would question the boy in the story. This questioning could reflect how Jones’ is questioning his sexuality, or even how he questions whether or not his father deserves his respect.
Your discussion of family here also reminds me of Eli Clare’s writing about his parents. In Clare’s case, he was abused by his father and his father’s behavior was enabled by his mother. His father did horrific things to control and gain satisfaction from him. There is a common thread of parents trying to make their children what they want them to be. This is unfortunately a common part of the queer identity. While fortunately many parents are not such extreme examples of this, even little comments like wishes for grandchildren are examples of parents exerting their will on their children to make them the “normal” child they had hoped for.
Your insight into the way Jones’ fathers expectations trap him is incredibly profound. This entry is a comprehensive explanation of the complicated relationship many queer kids encounter with their parents. I love the connection you make from Jones’ personal, artistic expression of this phenomena to Sedgewick’s more analytical explanation. I like how you say that not all adults have riding hood’s best interests in mind, a clear connection to the way queer children see and internalize the negative messages adult figures communicate to them about being queer.