Daniel Woodrell’s novel, Winter’s Bone is very much a story of survival. From the opening chapter readers get the sense of community resilience and self-sufficiency from the description of deer carcasses hanging from the trees, “The carcasses hung pale of flesh with fatty gleam from low limbs of saplings in the side yards”(3). The opening page sets the theme for the rest of the novel as Ree and her family struggle to maintain basic human needs including food and shelter. The focus on food particularly caught my attention as it symbolizes not only survival and a basic human need, but also an element of care. One scene that specifically speaks to this care is when Ree cooks deer stew for her brothers. She says, “‘I’ll be fixin’ deer stew tonight...Haul them chairs over here and stand on ‘em with your eyes peeled and watch every goddamn thing I do. Learn how I make it, then you both’ll know’” (19). At this moment Ree is teaching her brothers to take care of themselves while also demonstrating a notion of compassion that comes with cooking food for loved ones. In this instance food represents familial love and communion.
Communion is crucial regarding food’s role in the novel and is not only demonstrated between Ree and her brothers, but also among neighbors. When Ree goes to talk to Thump Milton she is turned away, yet offered a cup of soup by the women (63). This scene also caught my attention as it demonstrates the human nature to take care of people regardless of their situation. In a way, food offers acknowledgement of existence. The woman tells Ree that she can not talk to Thump Milton, yet she still brings Ree soup to acknowledge her presence. While the presence of food in the story is incredibly crucial to establishing the theme of survival and community, so is the presence of hunger when demonstrating an absence of agency. When she visits the cave Ree, in a way, experiences a raw existence of life experienced by her ancestors. Within the cave she is connected to her past yet lost in her present desperation of trying to find her father. Ree’s sense of desperation is reflected in her body's response. The narrator writes, “Her belly rumbled and pinged and hunger drew her into an aching curl” (68). Through the above examples readers can see the many ways food symbolizes life and survival for characters throughout the book. Food offers insight in family love and community belonging, while also showing the pain that occurs in the absence of basic human rights.
I thought your post was really interesting. I would never think to compare the instance of food in the book to an element of care. I personally saw food as a necessity symbolizing the lack of a steady income and how much help they really need. I can also see more examples of the element of care through food. For example, after the sheriff comes by and the family drying the deer sees the sheriff and Ree talking on the porch. Sonya, their neighbor came by with “‘meat for [her]. Canned stuff. Some butter and such.’” (17). She knows the father is gone and saw the sheriff come by so she stops by with 4 days worth of food and to check to make sure their family is okay. After Sonya gives her the food Ree is also relieved because it means she can care for her family better and fill their bellies with meat rather than grits or whatever they can find. After Harold and Sonny skin and clean their squirrels for the first time, learning the new skill as well as getting food to eat made them happy and care free (108). They’re starting to learn how to take care of themselves. Even though Ree isn’t giving them food, she’s teaching them how to get their own food and this also shows how much she cares for her brothers.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post as it is not symbolism I originally thought about. Part of living in rural poverty is associated with lack of food and hunger. Within the community (as disconnected as it is), food serves as an offering of acknowledgement. When Sonya brings food to Ree and her family she says, "Didn't want you-all to fear we'd forgot you for good" (Woodrell 17). While Sonya may not actively be physically present to them, by bringing food both parties understand the gesture. Ree knows how much it is appreciated and Sonya knows how much it is needed.
ReplyDeleteRee also stresses the importance of teaching her little brothers how to prepare and cook food. They do not understand the importance of food at a young age and Ree is responsible for teaching them so they can survive if she is ever gone or goes to the army. She acknowledges that she cares about them by trying to teach them to prepare food.
Woodrell makes hunger so apparent in the novel to show readers how poor the living conditions are in rural poverty. Upper and middle class often take this basic human right for granted (leftover food will be thrown away, fully stocked fridges and pantries). Satisfying our hunger is a very fortunate thing and Woodrell wants to remind us of this.
I love your analysis between food and family care. In addition to teaching Harold and Sonny how to cook food, eating food together is probably the sweetest and safest time for Ree's family. When Ree was anxiously looking for her father, only "full stomachs brought about a spell of peace" (109) and allowed her to relax on the couch.
ReplyDeleteThe notion of food is also a part of the book's theme of violence. If Ree and her family wanted to eat meat and survive, they had to kill. After she taught her brothers how to shoot a gun, they hunted squirrels and broke squirrels' necks. Harold "made the sort of face that generally breaks into tears, but squeezed with his hand and pulled and pulled until the guts lay on the board" (107). In Ree's community, violence is a symbol of power. Harold and Sonny eventually got used to killing and violence, which indicated their growth. Likewise, when Ree visited Merab's house again, she offered her a cup of soup again. When Ree "reached for the steaming cup... the world flushed upside down in her eyes while her ears rang and she staggered, then the world flushed again and again and she stumbled across the gravel" (129). Thus, getting food is associated with violence in parts of the book.