So far I really enjoy this story. It is much different from what we have been reading lately. The works we have read recently (plays and poems) are short so they get to the point immediately. Its a bit of a change to have a novel where it takes a chapter or two to get the feel of what is happening in the story.
One thing that is very noticeable from the very beginning of the story is the importance of family. Bone's mom and aunts and uncles all have a very close relationship and the aunts and uncles are all very involved in Bone's life. The scene at the hospital where Bone's grandmother and aunts were trying to fill out her birth certificate and didn't know how to spell Ann was quite funny, especially since Ann was Bone's mother's name. Not being able to spell your own daughter or sister's name gives us a pretty good idea of what their social class was and how much education they had.
This is another story that has already established the female characters as strong. Bone's mother continues to fight the "illegitimate" stamp that is on Bone's birth certificate even years after Bone's is born. This is something that is so stigmatized and seen as so wrong by society, she does not want Bone to have to live without that label above her head.
The female characters are also seen as being independent. Their is no mention of the grandfather except in negative terms and the grandmother does not care what anyone else thinks, she does her own thing. Bone's mother is also portrayed as being independent and taking care of her children but their is also the contradiction that she needs a husband especially when she sees Glen and her thought is that she "needs a husband." The men in the family also help take care of everyone and watch out for Bones and her mother and her sister and are given important roles because of that.
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5 comments:
I see what you mean about Ann she is a strong character, but at the same time she is dependent on a man it is kind of contradicting. You will see that she gets worse as the book goes on. Glen, don’t get me started on him. He is a dirt bag and he only gets worse as the book goes on. I predicted at the beginning that he was going to a bad guy and he proves me right, but you’ll see what I mean as time goes on.
I also find the book enjoyable to read, and agree with you about having to read a few chapters to get a sense of what the book is truly about. From the beginning I could see that family is of great importance. The Boatwright's tend to stick together and are always there for each other. Anney and Bone have a great mother and daughter relationship, and I thought Anney was raising her two daughters very well. It's just sad that Glen is so disfunctional and is taking it out on Bone.
I’ve enjoyed this book as well. The story often foreshadows many of the things to come. Glen for example is gradually talked about worse and worse and his actions progressively have coincided with the way others portray him. The weaknesses of Mama and her need for a man are having a direct negative effect on Bone. The things that Glen has done to her are already making her question herself and the way that love works. Bone wants to do what makes Mama happy, but at the same time it is making Bone a confused child with what I’m sure will be major issues to come.
I agree that there is that reapearing theme of family in this book. for them it seems to be such a strong and important connection because it is all they have. they dont have money to rely on, or education thus other then men family is all they have and so it needs to be cherished as so.
when i was reading this story it reminded me of Oconner's Revelation. just because of the focus on white trash and the desinctions between class levels that people are able to pick out, or fabricate. I thought that the way the hospital treeted her about the stamp on the birth certificate further implied how society views those of lower class.
This is very different from what we just finished doing. The poems are a little difficult to read and they get write to the pint but reading this story you have to kind of read alot the first chapters or so tp get the feel of it. What i liked about the book so far is that it is interesting and you want to read further on. You want to know more becuase its so veague.
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