I found myself continuously puzzled by the consistent hidden queerness in Rhys’ short stories. We began with “Illusion” which has this hidden relationship between two women. However, it feels increadibly awkward. There is this frantic feeling of urgency that things must happen very quickly and in a strong manner. It doesn’t have the feeling of a relationship (even one in it’s final stages) or casual sex. Instead it feels like pressuring someone to take an exam or to finish packing to catch a train. While clearly being sexual, there is so much tension that it feels unusual for even the most awkward and introverted of relationships.

I see this again in “Till September Petronella”. While Petronella has a relationship that clearly ended negatively with Estelle, there is this bizarre intensity between her and Frankie. While we talked about numerous sexual relationships in class, we did not mention anything between Petronella and Frankie. There is one scene in which Frankie is in Petronella’s room that feels incredibly strong and uncomfortable. In some other texts including “Illusion” this implied a sexual relationship.

This incredibly intense but seemingly hidden relationships in Rhys’ work puzzle me. Woolf wrote explicitly about queer female relationships in Orlando and other texts. Additionally, Rhys was criticized for so many other things that she had nothing to lose by including more explicit queerness.