A Speaking Subject/A Watching Object: Performing Sonship in Peter Rose's Rose Boys

摘要

Peter Rose's 2001 memoir Rose Boys is a meditation on male family relationships. Described by the author as ‘an essay in fraternal juxtaposition’, the work is not only a tribute to a brother but also an acknowledgement of the centrality of the father in the formation of two very different sons. This article will elaborate on this principal auto/biographical exchange in Rose Boys: the exchange between a speaking or performing subject (in the sons Robert and Peter) and a watching object (in the father Bob Rose). How is the paternal gaze conceived of and represented in this form of auto/biography? Can this work be read as a ‘performance’ for the father? How is the performance of sonship framed and represented? And how is Peter Rose's auto/biographical act both a ‘speaking for himself’ and an attempt to speak for his brother? Can a life writer speak for another, or will another to speak through his work, and what are the ethical implications of this attempt?View full textDownload full textKeywordsfathers, sons, performance, masculinityRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14484528.2012.641499