The closeted hussy, literary trope

from The Essential Paradise

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The closeted hussy is a thematic trope used by author Jonnie Comet within the Two Paradises fantasy/fiction realm.
The trope involves a young girl who, though she may outwardly appear to be a paragon of virtue and propriety, must conduct an otherwise responsible and fulfilling romantic life, typically involving sexual activity, without the knowledge or consent of her family or close friends because of the extreme unlikelihood that they will approve of her sober but unconventional choices.

The trope usually includes a complete, almost unbelievable obliviousness on the part of the parents or family, typically a result of wilful denial about the daughter’s maturation, inclinations, aptitudes, or influences, or of a lack of opportunity for involvement, such as a hardworking single parent who is rarely at home.

The trope is often, but not always, seen in conjunction with that of the masterful mother.

Archetype
The trope appears in numerous Comet works, including many not within the Two Paradises realm. Its archetype appears to be Tracy Young of the Sea Room fantasy/fiction realm, who, having been swayed by the influence of the enigmatic Queenie, introduced in All You Need Is Love, reinvents herself as a too-popular girl-about-town.

At 14 Tracy seduces Paul Cavaliere on his 21st birthday and becomes his first de facto girlfriend, though she is anything but constant and reappears numerous times through the story arc till the beginning of East Of The Sun, when Paul, about to depart on a circumnavigation, bids her goodbye for ever.

Tracy’s 50-odd-year-old mother, interested only in her own society and in the freedoms of retirement, never seems to notice or care much about what the pretty, precocious, promiscuous girl is doing beyond her immediate purview; and her willing ignorance and sense of denial over her daughter’s burgeoning sexuality empowers Tracy to do as she pleases without fear of maternal restriction.

Examples
Within the Two Paradises realm almost all examples are contained within the Paradise Two domain, due to subject matter.

Some examples include
* * *
 * Janine Hewlett - Janine, of Paradise, story arc
 * Gwendolyn Dahl - The Love of Gwendolyn Dahl, story arc
 * Tippy Baylor - The Love of Gwendolyn Dahl, story arc
 * Darby St Claire
 * Amelia Townsend - Amelia; a Vahine, novel
 * Susie Cavaliere
 * Jenny Talbot
 * Melissa and Carissa Flagg - Kissing Cousins, story arc