During our last class discussion on The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket there was a mixture of opinions on Arthur and Augustus’ relationship. Most everyone in class proposed their ideas on this topic; where we covered the theories that the two men are only friends, they have a homo-socially close relationship; they have a homosexual relationship, and many variations of these. Even after listening to the ideas and opinions of my classmates, I still believe Arthur and Augustus had more then a close friendship between them.
The very first page of the novel, the narrator, Arthur Gordon Pym, shares with the reader how their relationship began. He stated, “Here I became intimate with the son of Mr.Barnard…” Augustus is the son of Mr. Barnard and most people use the term “intimate” in the sense of strong feelings of desire and love. According to merriam-webster.com intimate is defined as having a very close relationship: very warm and friendly: very personal or private: involving sex or sexual relations. Even with this definition some can argue that the two men are just very close friends. But shortly after the above quote was mentioned, Pym further tells the reader he would go home with Augustus and stay with him the entire day, and sometimes all night, and Pym also included the fact that they would share a bed when he stayed over. This detail is important not because they shared a bed, but because he felt the need to include it in his narrative. When I talk with friends, or am discussing sleepovers with anyone I would never tell the person listening where I slept because it’s not relevant.
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The two men attend a party together, and Pym chooses to go back with Augustus rather then go back to his bed. He speaks of how they went to bed together and Augustus has this brilliant idea to get up and go out on the boat. Pym follows the excitement and agrees to go on the boat as well. The quote “We lost no time in getting on our clothes…” was said shortly after the two men were sleeping in bed together. From my past knowledge men usually sleep in boxers unless they are with other people; however the author did not say the two men had to change out of their sleepwear, which could be his intention to discreetly show the sexual relationship between the two men.
