Benjamin Character Analysis from Never Wipe Away Tears Without Gloves
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Jonas Gardell, Never Wipe Away Tears Without Gloves, Benjamin character analysis, AIDS epidemic Sweden 1980s, homosexuality struggles, Jehovah's Witness family, Rasmus relationship, HIV/AIDS impact, LGBTQ+ issues, Swedish literature, Simon Kaijser TV adaptation, Sno TV series, gay rights, 80s Sweden, youth culture, love and loss, prejudice and intolerance, character study, literary analysis, Benjamin Rasmus love story, Jehovah's Witnesses LGBTQ+, AIDS crisis, Swedish TV drama, Gardell novel, Never Wipe Away Tears Without Gloves book, gay literature, HIV support, palliative care, youth identity, Stockholm gay scene, 1980s gay culture, Swedish gay history, Gardell writing, LGBTQ+ literature, AIDS literature, Never Wipe Away Tears Without Gloves analysis, Benjamin character traits, Rasmus Benjamin relationship dynamics
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Abstract
Explore the character of Benjamin from Jonas Gardell's novel Never Wipe Away Tears Without Gloves, a poignant story about love, loss, and the AIDS epidemic in 1980s Sweden.
Extract
[...] He is brown, with large brown eyes, almost a bovine gaze. From a psychological and moral point of view, his portrait remains quite ambiguous, although one can still take advantage of benevolence at the end of the film/book. In the first place, in the early periods of his loves with Rasmus He is carefree, full of enthusiasm and joy of living, and just like his lover, he only thinks about living life to the fullest, his youth and his newly born adult life, and especially his relationship with Rasmus. [...]
[...] we discover a fragile and strong man at the same time. Fragile, because he is broken by the tragic fate he must face. Fragile, because he is pained by the loss of his loved ones and his great love. But he is above all strong, because despite everything, he accompanies Rasmus in his descent into hell and in the last moments of his illness in the hospital. In conclusion, Benjamin is the benevolent part of the couple he forms with Rasmus, he is the one who carries the story and his couple due to his strength and courage. [...]
[...] The two protagonists, Rasmus and Benjamin are two young homosexual boys from two different worlds. Rasmus leaves his deep Sweden to live in Stockholm. He is a victim of prejudices and intolerance from his high school classmates and his entourage. Treated and insulted as a 'faggot', he decides to live his life and his sexuality freely in the Swedish capital. The two boys will meet at a New Year's Eve party, fall in love with each other, and never let go. [...]
[...] He is from a Jehovah's Witness family. The young man is the pride of his parents, unlike his sister, who is less receptive to the family's religion. During one of the door-to-door tract distributions to 'recruit' new adherents to the religion, he will then meet Paul young homosexual) who will allow him to put a word on his feelings and his sexuality. Physically, Benjamin is tall, slender, and elegant. He has a physique that could be described as Adonis or ephebe, that is, a young boy just emerging from adolescence and entering adulthood. [...]
