I was still scratching my head at the end of the film. It seemed like Ruskin could get it up, because there was that scene of him masturbating in bed. So if he could get it up, why not just have sex with her? What do you all think was the problem?
shareApparently, Ruskin might have had somewhat paedophilic tendencies (although he might never have acted on those). Two theories are that he was disgusted by Effie's 'person' due to 1) pubic hair (because he was used to seeing the female form hairless down there- as portrayed in classical art), or 2) the sight of menstrual blood. Throughout his life, Ruskin seemed attracted more to 'nymphettes' or pre-pubescent girls (like it's hinted at in the movie), rather than grown women.
shareI figured he was either a pedophile and prefered young girls or he was gay. Both seemed to be hinted at in the movie, but I'm not sure which he was. He definetly had some kind of mental issue though; his parents were crazy too.
shareAs far as I understand him (and no one can ever know for sure) he idolised the female form as he knew it from classical art and elevated women to an idol-like status. So when he was confronted by a real woman, he was repulsed by actual flesh and pubic hair. Perhaps he also had a low sex drive in addition. Who knows?
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My God, it's full of stars!
Your explanation seems the most plausible to me.
shareAccording to his Wikipedia page, he got engaged to a young girl but broke it off and is not known to have had sex with anyone.
shareAccording to his Wikipedia page
Looking at available information, I think it's plausible he was attracted to prepubescent girls and/or he was freaked out by her pubic hair. Nudes of the period did not depict women with pubic hair, so maybe he was shocked by the reality of a flesh and blood woman?
shareThings point to him being infatuated with preteen girls, though he probably never acted on that infatuation, always waiting until they would've been old enough but once they were nothing came of it.
shareHe was a sick man. Even a virgin man shocked by a woman's appearance will get over it on their wedding night if he is turned on. John Ruskin either had the most warped sense of what a woman should be and look like, or he was gay. At least another man saw Effie was beautiful and worth his time, but six years wasted in a long time. He was a complete *beep* to let that charade of a marriage continue that long.
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