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Boys on the Side

The female relationships in the film "Boys on the Side" depart from the existing social structure because the women go off on their own without men. They ultimately happens because of tragedy in their lives- disease, death, and loss of career- but the women find strength in each other, and start over in Arizona together. Men never completely leave the picture, but the women definitely challenge the dominant culture's view of a normal living situation. Homosexuality also plays a large role in this film. Jane is a lesbian who falls in love with Robin, a straight woman. Before she dies, Robin tells Jane that she loves her too. The women have a bond that holds them together even though they are not sexual with each other. This relationship stands in sharp contrast to Holly's relationship with Abe. Their relationship (wife, husband, and baby) definitely reinscribes the "normal".

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