To start this breakdown of these queer characters and their unique versions of the grotesque, we should first examine Joel. Joel’s attraction to the opposite sex is what lets his character’s description fall under the grotesque. Joel is described as a “shy-boy” which is similar to how Idabel is described as a “tom-boy”. These semi-revealing descriptions are clues that signify the possibility or option of queerness in these characters. One particularly instance in the solidification of Joel’s queerness is brought forth in his obsession with “the lady” which turns out to be Randolph in drag. Joel’s description of the lady is rather elaborate and filled with the kind of words used to describe a great attraction. He recalls “the lady” as possessing