Jaroslav Foglar - Homoerotic Elements in His Novels

Homoerotic Elements in His Novels

Some critics argued that Foglar's novels are crammed with covered homosexual desire and that the author himself was gay. Firstly, as an author, Foglar was strongly influenced by German Wandervogel romantism more than the ideas of British scout movement (which emerged in Bohemian Lands during the WWI). Wandervogel movement itself had some elements of male eroticism. It can be admitted that most of the Foglar's novels are including the leading motive of lonely youth, motive of close friendship of two youths, with some exceptions in relation to the 'group-hero' novels like 'Rychle Sipy' Club and 'Devadesatka'. Foglar novels are picturing almost exclusively male world with generally no women (with few exceptions of marginal women persons - like old grannys or small girls, often without names). Idea that Foglar was gay is quite ahistorical one. Foglar, being a very traditional writer in his style and traditionalist person in his lifestyle, was not interested in any modern ideas and was far from regarding himself to be gay.