Bastard Out of Carolina

[OldLady]

I'm not sure what that means.

That was worded pretty bad, wasn't it? I suspect a woman must think she isn't worth more than what she might receive from a relationship like that to stay in it.

That's the heart of the book alright--worth. Annie was all heart and all need, just like her daughter, but she was missing Bones' rage at being poor, at being labeled "trash." Ironically, it was Annie's constant love that gave Bones the strength to fight back against those who said she had no worth, to at least be pissed about it. Annie just accepted it and kept seeking the world's approval. In her mind, she needed to make Glen into what the world would want, I think, a good husband. She couldn't see him for who he was. She NEEDED to make him something else, something better.

Poor damned Bones. Why do some of the best girls' coming of age stories include rape?

Just as she needed to make Bones into something other than a bastard. I suspect that was just as much for Annie's sake as it was for Bones.

To you, this was really Annie's story, wasn't it?

I wouldn't say that, but neither was it just Bone's story either.

Are you from the South?
Until about half way through, when Bones got religion, it seemed exactly like poor folks everywhere, but man oh man when we got to the gospel singers and that freaky albino kid, I started learning something about southern culture.

 

[BULLDOG]

That was worded pretty bad, wasn't it? I suspect a woman must think she isn't worth more than what she might receive from a relationship like that to stay in it.

That's the heart of the book alright--worth. Annie was all heart and all need, just like her daughter, but she was missing Bones' rage at being poor, at being labeled "trash." Ironically, it was Annie's constant love that gave Bones the strength to fight back against those who said she had no worth, to at least be pissed about it. Annie just accepted it and kept seeking the world's approval. In her mind, she needed to make Glen into what the world would want, I think, a good husband. She couldn't see him for who he was. She NEEDED to make him something else, something better.

Poor damned Bones. Why do some of the best girls' coming of age stories include rape?

Just as she needed to make Bones into something other than a bastard. I suspect that was just as much for Annie's sake as it was for Bones.

To you, this was really Annie's story, wasn't it?

I wouldn't say that, but neither was it just Bone's story either.

Are you from the South?
Until about half way through, when Bones got religion, it seemed exactly like poor folks everywhere, but man oh man when we got to the gospel singers and that freaky albino kid, I started learning something about southern culture.

Yep, I'm from the south. It's been 10-15 years since I read it, and I don't remember lots of it, but it was a pretty strong book. Might be time for me to reread it