Beginnings And Endings Story Notes
Beginnings And Endings, when one takes an analytic look at it, has very little actually going on, action-wise. Behind the flash-bang and gimmicks of the multiple time shifts, there are three basic stories:
1) Hutch, at thirteen, was targeted by a male pedophile (or hebephile, if you will) and had a relationship with this man for a time.
2) Hutch, at thirty-something, volunteered himself to give a man oral sex under coercion in order to save his partner from the same.
3) Starsky and Hutch have an argument about #2, during which #1 is revealed.
The majority of the text is about presenting a background to the emotions that truly make up the heart of the story. How is each of the characters feeling, and what will they do now?
By placing Hutch's younger age at thirteen instead of a pre-pubescent time, his situation with Howie could be viewed as questionable instead of outright molestation. We don't know Howie's motivations, though we can guess at less-than-honorable ones. To what degree was Hutch at fault? Can he convince himself of a lack of guilt? As an adult, he chooses a sexual act which saves his and his partner's lives. Was it rape? Was it seduction? Was it wrong, and from what viewpoint: legal, moral, practical, emotional...? How difficult is it to reconcile differing answers one might get from differing frameworks of thought? What about outside prejudice and pressures, especially in regards to Hutch's gender and his profession?
I will also quote here what I once said in the comments to this story:
I'm always very interested in the 'culpability' of the victim. I think sometimes we forget that things like rape and molestation don't usually happen in back alleys with knives at your throat. There's almost always other factors going on that the victim could have avoided had they the experience or sense or luck to do so. Does that make what the perpetrator does okay? Of course not. But the fact remains that there's an element of guilt or perceived guilt on the victim's side.
I'm sure most people have ill feelings toward Howie right now and want to see him in jail. But I think there's no question that if this had happened to Hutch as a 33yr old instead of a 13yr old, the reaction would be very different. Being with Howie was Hutch's choice, and the only thing that made it 'wrong' was that, by most standards, he was too young and inexperienced to be making those choices.
As to Hutch's sexuality, does that make any difference? It shouldn't, but I'm sure it may be a source of confusion for him. I don't think that his time with Howie proves one way or another. In any case, I'd like the answer to that question to remain up to the reader.
It's a lot to take in, all in all, and it is fortunate that Starsky and Hutch have each other to go through this together with.
Taken as a series, this collection of stories trace a possible evolution in attitude and belief for both characters. As you read through the stories, you'll notice that the povs alternate. Starsky and Hutch each have their own ideas of what should and can be done, and they have their own approaches. They do not always know what the other is thinking, although sometimes they do (or think they do).
Hutch's evolution--
I picture Hutch in this story as having been an independent boy used to making many of his own decisions. I do not think that his parents neglected him; giving their son this freedom was their way of showing their trust in him. This early training very likely even led to many of his advantages in adulthood. Unfortunately, Hutch (or 'Ken') meets the wrong man at the wrong time in his life, and his self-reliance becomes an impediment to his dealing with this event emotionally.
Hutch probably sorted through his feelings at the time and packed it all away as an adequately 'closed file'. It was a mistake, he figures. It was nobody's fault. Sucky things happen, and this was just one of them. He could probably have gone on the rest of his life without worrying about it overmuch.
Meeting Sloan, of course, blows that wide open. A thirty-something cop has different reactions than a thirteen-year-old boy. Looking at his memories through his new maturity reveals some truths about his own vulnerability that he can't have liked thinking about. Especially hard is revealing his youthful 'guilty secret' to his best friend, whose opinion matters very much to him. Luckily, Starsky gives him the unequivocal support that he needs.
There follows a time when Hutch is reenergized and once again confident in his place in the world. Unfortunately, his newfound peace is upset by his meeting Howie again. His memories of the past are shaken yet again, as he is forced to compare Howie's perspective with his own -- and also with Starsky's perspective, which he is surprised and dismayed to discover are singularly different from his own. He extracts a promise from Starsky not to pursue the matter, and I'm guessing that he is willing to believe that Starsky will keep that promise.
In the meantime, Hutch is still reevaluating what he remembers of his relationship with Howie. By the time Sloan comes back into the picture, he has tentatively begun to accept that he was the victim in a crime. Ashburn underscores this idea for him, both validating his position and at the same time invalidating his relationship with Howie -- whom I believe could have been Hutch's first love. This gives Hutch strength in some ways, for example bolstering him to stand up for himself against attack with no (visible) qualms. However, he's lost something precious that he can't properly mourn, leading to the drunken scene at the end where he finally admits what has been troubling him -- and once again, perhaps quite to his surprise, Starsky is there to catch him with exactly the right words to say.
Starsky's evolution--
Starsky, of course, does not reach that point immediately. Watching his partner assaulted by Sloan was bad enough. Realizing amidst that assault that Hutch had been (he thinks) lying to him about being gay their whole time together seems a betrayal. His guilt and anger are only compounded when he finds out the reality behind Hutch's sexual experience with men. This is temporarily overcome by his genuine caring for Hutch, and his need to protect his partner. However, he carries his share of grief and rage.
Starsky realizes that expressing his feelings may only hurt Hutch, and so he works them off himself via physical exercise. It is only after he has vented some of his maelstrom of emotions that way that he is able to recognize that Hutch is still the man he always was. Hutch is strong and well and emotionally capable of taking care of himself as his younger self had not been able to. That is when Starsky finally lets go of the worst of his fear and anger on behalf of his partner.
That doesn't mean that he lets go of his sense of justice and revenge. Indeed, he takes every chance to try and discover the identity of Hutch's long ago assailant, until his patience finally pays off and he meets Howie face to face. He is completely unprepared for Hutch's response -- blanket censure. In the course of their careers, Starsky and Hutch together have had to become resigned to victim after victim of sexual assault who refuses to place charges or recants her testimony. Hutch refusing to bring justice down on Howie is the last thing that Starsky would expect.
Even after he grudgingly accepts Hutch's point of view, he can't help but continue to worry away at what he perceives to be an unresolved problem. In a way, this helps him to work through his own reaction, even though he knows that he is on shaky ground after his promise to Hutch. Hutch's handling of his assailants in the shower room is what at last convinces Starsky that Hutch is not only much stronger than he might have thought, but that the best thing for Hutch is to give him back his power of choice, and to give him Starsky's complete trust.
Thus, Starsky at the end of the story is able to give Hutch his undivided, unconditional support. I don't know if he can quite understand Hutch's devastation over losing Howie's love (or the illusion of it), but this Starsky, after traveling through this course of events, can at least recognize Hutch's hurts with no judgement. He can whole-heartedly give his partner not only what he thinks Hutch needs, but also what Hutch asks for. He gives Hutch what he always has -- his love.
Some interesting articles:
Does being attracted to teenagers make me a pedophile? (advice article), by Heather Corinna
Pedophilia and Ephebophilia (blog post), by Loren Rosson III
Gold Star Pedophiles (advice article), by Dan Savage
Male Rape Possible? (advice article), by Go Ask Alice!
Male On Male Rape: The Hidden Toll Of Stigma And Shame - Review (book review), by BNet, book by Michael D. Lyde
Back to Beginnings And Ending Index