Tom & Carl's Relationship

[wicked_writer]

Woohoo! High five, fellow avid slasher! I to love to slash everything and anything. Shockingly, Tom/Carl didn't even cross my mind until later on after a few readings. It's a cute paring, to the max.

-The N

[Silverclaw]

I definitely think they're together. First of all, it would just be so awesome. Besides, it's a little weird for them just to be friends and live together. I mean, if they were college students or something maybe, but they're both in their 30s or 40s. And they both have good jobs, so it's not like they can't afford seperate houses. Some people seem to think that they would tell people, but I'm not so sure. Please remember, this is set in the 80s. I'm sure Nita and Kit would be fine with it, but some people are less....... accepting. Besides, it's entirely possible that their close friends know, but there's really no reason that Nita and Kit would.

[wizardsrreal]

That's a good reason why they wouldn't tell people if they were together. I never thought about that--about it being set in the 80's. Although the newer books theoretically are still set in the 80's, I don't see them like that anymore. Everything seems modern. I do think they are more just like brothers though.

[illiriam]

well, I don't know that it's necessarily weird for them to be living together, even if they aren't college aged anymore. It could be entirely possible that they were living together in college, and since they never got married, they had no real reason to move out. Some people don't like to live alone, and it saves money, which is important, and allows them to save for if either one ever does decide to move out.
Of course, it is entirely possible that they are together and just feel that their personal life is just that: personal. I think that would be cute, but I still highly doubt that it is the true scenario.
I like to think of them as best friends who consider themselves brothers. I would live with my best friend in a heartbeat, no matter what age we are.

Wow, this thread got resurrected. Yay for thread surfers!

[Jacq]

I like very much that DD has left it open to interpretation. It's like Dumbledore: Their relationship had no real bearing on the story (Nita's story, to be specific). I made a big post in the other thread outlining my thoughts on the matter, so I won't repeat myself, but I sure do think they're a couple.

[Birdhead]

I just want to respond to your post with a few questions, Stormwind. Do you feel that Harry and Betty's, or Juan and Marina's, or Dairine and Roshaun's relationships constitute being "shov[ed] in [your] face"? If not, why would a line in canon that implied more strongly than what is current that Tom and Carl are romantic partners as well as domestic partners constitute to you shoving in the face? Sexuality is a part of adult life and it is not a shameful thing - even in these books, which are extremely low on the level of sex material for young adult books, we see Kit's parents kiss, we see Dairine and Roshaun talk explicitly about being too young for a romantic commitment. It's natural that these kinds of things are present in literature of all kinds.

I'm happy for people to think whatever they like about Tom and Carl, but I suspect that anyone who thinks their relationship is brotherly... hasn't got brothers (I do - and they are actually flatting together at the moment - and I can assure you that their relationship does not remotely resemble that of Tom and Carl, although perhaps that is because they're 18 and 20 and not so inclined to maturity.)

[Jacq]

So I was farting around tvtropes today, and, lo and behold, they have a Young Wizards entry.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YoungWizards

Here we go:

# Yaoi Guys: Tom and Carl, in a rather subtle example.
* ...though this editor honestly wonders what the hell the above editor was smoking when they wrote that, perhaps bringing new meaning to "subtle example".
[...]
o Who says they are Yaoi Guys? [...]
o Who says? Word Of God says: This troper was an acquaintance of Diane Duane's before she moved to Ireland, and was present when she confirmed to a small audience at a reading that Carl and Tom are indeed a gay couple

Bolding mine.

So, a definitive answer. Feels good, man. :3

[Birdhead]

Well, I just killed an hour on tvtropes (man, the "Crowning Moment of Awesome" page is, well, AWESOME). Thanks, sort of!

In re: Tom&Carl, well gosh, colour me shocked! Although I don't generally buy into the concept of authorial intent as being especially valid in terms of interpretation (I have to have opinions about that because I study English), hey, maybe I'll make an exception.

[Silverclaw]

Are you absolutely sure that quote is accurate? If so, then YAY!!!! I may just throw a party. Seriously. Well, maybe not, but I'll be happy.

[mollyculeofwater]

i think they r just wizardly partners

[Silverclaw]

Umm, did you read the quote at the top of the page?

[Frivs]

dude......I log in to the YW forums for the first time in months to find that my hopes and dreams have been realized????? o_o *dies* xD

Has anyone confirmed that quote yet?

And btw, wow, this thread has been going for THREE years!! I feel loved xDD Or rather, I suppose Tom and Carl should!

[Trialia]

Frivs - ask Herself? She's on Twitter more or less every day. But I do doubt you'll get a clear answer (I won't say a 'straight' one :P), because there is, sadly, a large cultural thing in certain areas of the USA that while parents may or may not be content with their children reading about fictional wizardry, the vocal minority certainly won't be happy about it if Diane were to publicly confirm the existence of a homosexual relationship in a book published in the Young Adult genre.

Which is really depressing to think about, because I'm gay myself and have been reading the books since I was a young adult - heck, I still am - but I've always read Tom & Carl's relationship as being like that anyway. *shrugs* I guess it depends on how you want to see it. We know canonically (while not in this fictional 'verse - I'm thinking Tale of the Five) that she doesn't mind writing that.

[Frivs]

I doubt I would too lol. I've been trying to get it out of her since this topic was created two years ago I completely understand and respect her reasoning for that though, which is why I am so surprised at the above quote. And yes, the situation here is a bit...too much for me to comment about on YW forums heh.

[Silverclaw]

Wouldn't the sort of parents that would have a problem with that not want their kid reading fantasy? Especialy fantasy which, while certainly not intended that way, could probably be interpreted as anti-christian?