I agree that Thomas took advantage of her and I didn't like his character much at all. It did remind me a lot of Travis Vuoso when he told Jasira she would have to pay a toll to get past him. I think this was an intentional link; an adolescent almost mirroring the actions of adults. Thomas, Jasira, Denise, and Zack are a product of their society. Sex is a taboo subject especially when you're talking about adolescent sexuality. A topic that most people are too uncomfortable to broach. The adults in this movie, with the exception of Melina, didn't really promote any healthy sexual dialogue with the curious adolcecent characters. There isn't really a healthy dialogue flowing between the adults as well. Half the time Rifat responds violently to Jasira's curious nature in an effort to keep her reputation in tact, yet he decides to have sex with Athena, quite loudly I might add, in the presence of his Jasira. Like most adolescents Jasira, Thomas, Denise, and Zack rely upon observation of the adults around them and the media for the answers to their questions. This leads them to take on hypersexual roles and behaviors that they aren't emotionally equipt to handle. This isn't a new concept at all. The movies American Beauty and Thirteen explore this theme as well and would be good ones to check out if you haven't already.
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