Perversion the Social Relation

io8Nina Schwartzshe desires to achieve. Significant in his absolute absence from eitherZoë's memories or her present life is, of course, her father. His literallack may suggest the failure of the paternal function for Zoë.Christina is contemptuous of Zoë's explanation of her occupation:"So you feel better adopting her options instead of creating your own?"But this question might well be asked of all the characters in the film^ whose options seem profoundly determined by family legacies. It's certainlytrue for Thomas, the gay exotic pet shop owner/smuggler, whohas also inherited his foundering business from his father. WhetherThomas inherited the very successful smuggling operation too is unclear,but the presence of his father's gun in Thomas's desk drawer suggeststhat he might have. The dank, dim store, full of leaking tanks whosemurky waters obscure whatever the inhabitants might be, is absent anyshoppers. Indeed, until his involvement with the ballet and then laterwith Francis, Thomas's only encounters with other people occur withthe yuppie cab-sharer and, by means of an angry phone conversation,with the contractor/painter who has failed to complete a remodeling jobon Thomas's apartment. This conversation is the only occasion on whichhe manifests much assertiveness at all. His encounters at the ballet suggestthe attenuated nature of his sexuality and perhaps of his life: on hisfirst visit to the performance, he sells the extra ballet ticket he receivedfrom the yuppie to a very attractive (and somewhat exotic looking) darkyoung man who's seeking admission to the theater. After the performanceis over, Thomas insists on giving his money back to the youngman on the grounds that the tickets were a gift to him, not somethinghe paid for. In response, the young man invites Thomas for a drink, butThomas declines, walking away with a slight and ambiguous smile onhis lips. Thomas's second encounter at the ballet follows this exact samescript, including the return of money at the end of the performance, despitethe fact that this time he actually did purchase both tickets. Onthe third encounter, however, Thomas accepts the invitation of the attractiveyoung man, and a later shot shows them both in Thomas's bedroom,near the incubator containing the smuggled eggs, on the verge ofa romantic encounter. But, it turns out, his lover is the black customsofficer we had first seen observing while Thomas smuggled the illegaleggs into the country. When the officer departs Thomas's apartment, hetakes the illegal eggs with him, but later, when Thomas is still sleeping,he leaves a phone message identifying himself as both an agent of the