Daniel Woodrell’s novel Winter’s Bone reveals the poverty inside the Ozarks which includes the hunt to reach the Dolly family’s basic human needs. The protagonist of the story is Ree Dolly who is only a teenager but steps up to care for her family after her father, Jessup, disappears and leaves the family behind. Ree takes care of her mentally ill mother by washing her hair and making food, and also takes care of her two younger brothers by teaching them the skills that they will use in the future. Ree is put in a crisis when a police officer reveals to their family that they will lose their home if Jessup does not show up to court. This adds more stress to Ree since their family has nowhere else to go she needs to make sure Jessup goes to court.
Ree’s role is first shown to the reader when she grabs her little brother Harold by the ear and says “never ask for what ought to be offered” (Woodrell 5) after he says that they should ask Blond Milton to bring them food for dinner. The scene also reveals how getting food on the table is a struggle for their family as they have no money. Her role is matrimonial and is proven through her hopes for her brothers’ futures. She does not want them to be “dead to wonder by age twelve, dulled to life, empty of kindness, boiling with mean” (Woodrell 8). Ree does not want her brothers to be like the other men of their clan. She wants to be able to provide for them and make sure they turn out respectable, independent, and happy, which is what makes her like a mother to them.
Ree wants to join the military to get away from her family, she knows that if they lose the house there will be no possibility of this and believes that “she’d be stuck alongside them ‘til steel doors clanged shut and the flames rose” (Woodrell 15). This sends her on a mission to go find her father. Ree is independent and persistent in her search for her father. She goes to many places including Hawkfall which is dangerous. For the first part of her search Ree is unsuccessful but decides to go back to Hawkfall which causes her to be battered by Thump Milton’s family. Ree finds out that her father is dead, but needs to prove it to the bondsman. She shows her braveness and courage as she cuts off her fathers hands as proof to give to the bondsman that he is dead.
Overall, Ree steps up to help her family keep their home even though she was put in danger while doing so. Ree was brave and loyal to her brothers and mother to ensure that she would be able to live out the rest of her dream.
Hi! I do agree with your topic of matrimony and its relatedness to Ree, as it portrays a very important theme throughout the novel. I think it is interesting how she is essentially forced into the role of the parent, while her mother sits back from it - not that she can help it because of her mental issues. But also, as readers, we do not see the father in the picture either as he abruptly disappears and dies without really a concrete answer. It reveals how strong-minded Ree is and very mature for her age to take care of her two younger brothers. Ree teaches them how to be strong-willed, polite, and kind people and she does a good job of making sure of it (reference to your quotes from page 5 and page 8). Your last sentence - I wouldn't say she takes on the parental role because she wants to fulfill her dream going to the military necessarily, I think she has a love for her brothers in which she could not just leave them to survive and learn about the world on their own; so as an older sister, she felt like it was her role to take over the family.
ReplyDeleteI think that you brought up a great point that she acts as a makeshift parental figure in the family in the absence of a real parent. I believe that Ree did not really have a choice in becoming the leader of the house, and she was almost forced to go on this adventure to find her father. If she did not, her brothers and her mentally ill mother would be forced into homelessness. I think one of my favorite examples of her becoming the caretaker of Harold and Sonny is when she rode the school bus with them, and as they were leaving she said “Don’t fight if you can help it. But if one of you gets whipped by somebody both of you best come home bloody, understand?” (Woodrell 48). I think this quote by Ree shows how important it is to her that family sticks together through thick and thin. It gives Ree a bit of a strong and stern persona, something reflective of how and where she grew up. Even though her ultimate goal is to go to the army, her first priority is to make sure her family can provide for themselves. That is the main reason why she is teaching Harold and Sunny how to cook and hunt, among other things.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your perspective of Ree's character, and I would like to examine it more. Throughout the novel, Ree is seen as an independent, strong woman. Ree mentions her interest in joining the military in the beginning of the novel as a way out of her town (Woodrell 15). Here, Ree views her own aspirations above her brothers future, yet this thought vanishes as she searches for her father to save her family home.
ReplyDeleteAs Ree confronts and is confronted by faces within her community, such as Blond Milton, she grows closer to her brothers to protect them. Ree teaches her brothers how to shoot after Blond Milton confronted her (Woodrell 79). Here, she shelters her brothers from harm by teaching them how to protect themselves. In the final moments of the novel, Ree assures her brothers that she will take care of them and not leave for the military (Woodrell 193). This confirms her lasting bonds with them and inability to separate.
I agree with the post, as well as the other comments, in that Ree did not consciously decide to be the mother/parental figure she is, but rather had it forced upon her by unfortunate circumstances. That being said, she approaches her task with hardiness and perseverance that goes beyond her years. It's hard to imagine being responsible for both the people and things that Ree is at only 16 years old. Her commitment is further shown when she abandons her path out of the Ozarks (joining the U.S military) in order to take care of her family. This personal sacrifice is one of the many examples of the strength of Ree's character in the book, and further reinforces how far she is willing to go for the people she loves. You brought up an excellent point that without Ree's help, her brother's would have been raised to be the same as the other men she knows. Additionally, there would be no one to take care of her mother. However, even though Ree's decision is one made out of necessity, it doesn't take away from how important she is. Through the actions she takes and the life she gives up, it is apparent that Ree is stronger than her age would suggest.
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