WELCOME STUDENTS!
This is a place for us to discuss openly and honestly the literature we are reading. Here we are all just communicating our thoughts on what we are reading. There are no right and wrong answers. However, you are expected to be polite, mature, and on topic.
5 comments:
I agree that the past does haunt us, but I believe that one other key theme was that secrets do not stay secrets. There are several instances in the novel where a well-kept secret has surfaced. I think it is plain and simple. No matter what, the truth eventually comes out.
Jessalynn Jarrell
"After Gail tells Wes about what Marie said to her (about Frank and his rapes of female Indian patients), Wes doesn't seem to be as shocked as Gail is. This is disconcerting because one would think that if someone found out something that disturbing about one of their family members, that person would show a lot more emotion or have a stronger reaction. David realizes this and then figures that his father probably knew about Frank's activities. "Just one thing Wes. You never said you didn't believe it. Why is that? Why?....But he didn't say a word. He simply picked up his fork and continued to eat Daisy McAuley's rhubarb cake. That was when it came to me. Uncle Frank was my father's brother, and my father knew him aas well as any man or woman. And my father knew he was guilty" (Watson 54).
Here is my passage.
Jessalynn Jarrell
I agree with Jessalynn that a major part of the theme was secrets don't stay secrets, but i believe a larger theme of the text is that justice always comes with a price. Through trying to keep the justice of the law, Wesley has to do one of the hardest things in life by arresting his own brother. "My father took off his hat and sailed it hard against the refrigerator. "He's in the basement. Goddamn it! Don't you get it-I've arrested him. He's down there now.""(page 109)
Travis is right about one of themes being justice comes with a price considering the events that went on throughout the entire book. One major theme that I come to realize while reading this book was that you do not always know everything about your family. Nobody knew Frank was sexually abusing Indian girls, except Franks father. David only knew that hi uncle Frank was a war hero, doctor, and all-star sportsman. Not that he was a sexual abuser. "During this conversation two things struck me: first, that the man they were discussing (and whose crimes they kept alluding to but now did not specifically mention in deference to my supposed innocence) was not done outsider, some Kalispell cowboy or Billings tough who got in trouble up here in my father's jurisdiction, but was my uncle, a man who had only recently stopped lifting me around in a dizzying whirl of affection and roughhouse play when he came to the house."
Jenna Anderson
I agree with Jenna about a theme being not truly knowing your family. These secrets were covered up about David's Uncle Frank and it made him question if he ever knew him at all. A major theme that stood out to me is power and control. Grandpa Hayden always had to have his control over the town whether he was sheriff or not. He had this power over Wesley that Wesley submitted to. After the situation with Frank and Wesley finally arresting him Grandpa Hayden still tried manipulating Wesley into doing what he wanted him to with the sheriff authority. Finally, Wesley took control and didn't bow down to his father's power anymore. He used his role in the community for what what's right not for what he was told to do. This is shown when Wesley says "And I'm calling Dad today. Tell him no more stunts like this. This is my family. My house (page 135)." and "What could I have been thinking of? Maybe a jury will cut him loose. I won't. By God, I won't (page 143)."
Holly McKenzie
Post a Comment