ABSTRACT
The Conclusion briefly reviews the history of adult homosexual and gay literature in Britain and the United States from the mid-nineteenth through the early twentieth century and considers how children’s literature of male homosexuality contributes to this larger body of work. The Conclusion argues that gay children’s literature can accomplish certain objectives that are more difficult for gay adult literature during this period by depicting Uranian youth as figures of hope and resilience in line with the conventions of boy books, whereas adult homosexual characters appear tragic or corrupted. Moreover, gay children’s literature during this period manages to live an open double life, circulating as Sunday school gifts and bestsellers among an audience presumably oblivious to its homosexual content while proving relatively open about the nature of the desire and affection between boys. In this way, early gay children’s literature can avoid the censorship or scandal that followed the publication of works for adults.
