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Act 1: Matthew
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Laramie Project, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Homophobia, Tolerance, and Acceptance
Violence, Punishment, and Justice
Media and Community
Religion, Morality, and Prejudice
Theater and Representation
Summary
Analysis
In a monologue, Doc O’Connor says that there are more gay people in Wyoming than it might initially appear, though they are not all recognizably, stereotypically gay. Instead, Doc says, they are tough, farmer types, who will fight anyone who messes with them. Doc says he knows a lot of gay people in Wyoming, and he adds that he does not think Wyoming people care if someone is gay or straight, implying there is a lot of gay activity that is somewhat hidden.
Doc’s belief that there are more gay people in Wyoming than meets the eye suggests that many gay people in the state feel that they have to remain closeted in order to be accepted. While Doc says people do not care if someone is gay or straight, he also suggests that gay men must be hyper masculine and hushed in order to be “tolerated.”
Themes
