Am I Blue reader's response: Alicea Mendez 805

                 Bruce Coville's short story "Am I Blue" talks to the reader about being insecure with yourself and that it doesn't matter if you are gay or not, just that if you believe in yourself, you can be whatever you want, no matter what anyone says about you.
                 In the beginning of the story, Vincent, the main character, was bullied by another kid named Butch Carrigan. Vincent looks at Butch a certain way that Butch perceives it like something else. Butch tells Vincent "You little fruit! I'll teach you to look at me!". This shows that Vincent is gay (or at least he thinks he is) and that Butch always bullies him for it. But in this case, all Vincent did was catch a glance at him when Butch decided that Vincent was "interested in jumping his bones".
                In the middle of the story, Vincent was with his "fairy Godfather" Melvin in a cafe. Vincent asked: "'Me being your first case. Does that mean I'm gay?' I didn't mention that I have been trying to figure out the same thing for myself for about a year know." This shows that Vincent isn't really sure that he wants to tell himself, or anyone else for that matter, that he is gay because he is scared for what people might say and do to him. He really isn't sure about his sexuallity yet, and he doesn't know whether to come out of the closet or not.
               In the end of the story, Vincent, who now has gaydar vision ( a type of vision that allows you to see all of the gay people in the world by turning them blue) and now knows that Butch is gay since he was "blue as a summer sky", says he: "Decided to save my third wish for when i really need it--maybe when i meet the girl of my dreams. Or Prince Charming. Whichever." This shows that he is now satisfied about who he is (and who Butch Carrigan really is) and that it won't really matter to what he is going to be when he gets older : gay or straight. He would be happy either way. But he still isn't sure what he is, though.
             And in conclusion, Bruce Coville short story "Am I Blue" teaches readers to be yourself, no matter what you are. Bruce shows readers that being gay is a choice, whether you want to come out of the closet or not, and that it expresses part of who you are.