Throughout Woodrell’s work “Winter’s Bone”, Ree repeatedly takes the role of being the parent as a result of her living circumstances. She recognizes that her brothers need a guiding force in their lives while knowing that her parents are both unable to fulfill this responsibility.
From the beginning, Ree is mature for her age. When seeing her brothers have a joyful conversation, she wishes they “would not be dead to wonder by age 12, dulled to life” as she had become (Woodrell 8). Having dealt with significant hardships, she has altered her own perspective. Instead of dwelling on it though, she uses it to teach her brothers to be more independent in their lives. When she was making dinner, she had her brothers sit and watch her so they would know how to prepare food too. Despite her brothers being under the age of 12, Ree recognizes that it’s on her to give her brothers the skills they need to be self-sufficient.
Her parental tendencies come from the environment in which she grew up. Her mother has been diagnosed with a mental illness, and the drugs she’s prescribed alter her ability to function - she’d been “medicated and lost to the present” (6). As a result, 16 year old Ree must bathe and take care of her mother as opposed to her mother raising Ree and her younger brothers. Additionally, her father is absent from the family’s life. He is a known drug distributor in their local community and has a court date coming soon. Because he is on the run, he is unable to care for the family and all his responsibilities fall on Ree. When the sheriff comes to warn Ree that their house is backing her father’s bond, Ree sets out to find him, as she will be homeless if her father does not report to court. Although parents are supposed to keep track of their children, Ree is having to go on a search for her father to prevent her household from crumbling, illustrating who the parent really is.
Ree’s account illustrates a different reality in American society: rural poverty. She is forced to act as a parent to her brothers while taking care of her mother and running a household.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis post characterizes Ree’s responsibilities and familial role in a thorough and poignant way. As the above post details, Ree was forced to care for her younger brothers as though they were her own children. Much in the same way, this familial obligation is shared by Ree’s best friend, Gail, who is also forced to assume the role of a parent at a young age.
ReplyDeleteGail, Ree’s friend from school, is sixteen-year-old child who also plays a crucial maternal role in her family. Woodrell explains that she was “required by pregnancy to marry Floyd Langan,” so she started her family at a young age (31). These developments occurred so quickly that Ree noticed how Gail was still “stunned by this wife-and-mother business” (33). In essence, the responsibilities of motherhood were thrust upon Gail.
Gail carries this maternal instinct throughout the novel. For instance, she took care of Ree after Ree had been injured in a fight. Gail “helped Ree from the truck” and ensured that she would “doctor you up good” (157). This kind interaction demonstrates how Gail took care of her friend even though Ree’s family was unable to help her. Consequently, it is clear throughout "Winter’s Bone" that Gail’s caretaking role parallels Ree’s parental tendencies.
I think what Woodrell is trying to get across in her novel is the prevalence of young kids having to grow up fast in rural poverty. As you discussed in the post, Ree has to take on parental responsibilities. It is difficult to imagine a 16 year old doing this, but her circumstances require it. Her responsibilities do not only extend to her little brothers, but also her mom. As Ree is inquiring about help to find her dad she says, "I got them two boys and Mom to tend to, man. I need that house to help" (Woodrell 55). Ree carries an immense amount of problems to deal with on her shoulders at a young age.
ReplyDeleteThis situation is parallel to Gail. Tasked with becoming a mom at a young age, Gail seems to be the only active parent in her household. Her husband, Floyd is still in love with someone else and disregards and disrespects Gail. This causes Gail to be the caretaker of Ned. Her circumstances have also caused her to accept parental responsibilities at the age of 16.
Both situations illustrate how rural poverty requires kids to grow up fast and assume a parental role, a point Woodrell makes throughout the novel. Living in these situations, make it hard to end the cycle of rural poverty.