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Boy Erased (Garrard Conley) Bento Box

Over the past few weeks I have been reading Boy Erased by Garrard Conley, a memoir about his experience as the son of a pastor, in a gay conversion program, as well as his family and friends. Having finished it recently, I can say that it is a very powerful story, and is a great insight to how damaging the Ex-gay movement was at the time (2004). It’s very moving, as a result of how vivid and visceral his descriptions are. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is even vaguely interested in this sort of thing.

Moving on to the bento box!


The Bible was an ever present part of Conley’s life, both physically and mentally, as he was well versed in it. Throughout the text, there are many time in which the Bible (or parts of it) is an important part of a scene. For example, early on in his life, he fails to lead a Bible study and is embarrassed. Later on, a fellow member of the program brags about memorizing all of the clobber verses (7 verses that are often pointed to support the claim that homosexuality is a sin). As such, I found it pertinent to include this.


The notebook represents the moleskin which he wrote his short stories in, that was subsequently torn by an employee at the program after he saw a “false image” (t some form of temptation) in it. This was a very important item to him, and he refers back to it for a majority of the text.


The scissors represent the scissors that Conley had held up to his throat in front of the mirror (which is also present in my box) as he contemplated suicide because of the program as well as pressure from his family.


The wall decoration represents the picture frames he was carrying when he met David. This is something that he regrets, as David would later go in to force himself onto Conley. This is a traumatic experience, and Conley emphasizes his regret in accepting David’s help to carry the frames. Furthermore, the decoration I used emphasizes the importance of familial bonds. Conley’s relationship with his family is also an important part of the story, and he eventually reconciles with them (in a sense).

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