George was ashamed, not of his son, but of himself, for allowing society to determine his beliefs, his values, his thoughts and feelings, rather than having had the courage to form his own convictions. He was glad, now, that he'd stumbled upon Harlan and Eliot in the ravine. The incident had opened his eyes, had made him see that his repugnance for homosexuality was a product of his times. He need not, and would not, allow his life and his relationship with his son to be determined—determined and ruined—by such bigotry. Today, this moment, George Thicket was a new man, thanks to his son and his son's romantic partner.

At...