I read this story one time through, and I knew better based on the past short stories we have reviewed in class that this story was not as simple and straight forward as it seems on the surface. I decided I would try to break it down before class, to see if I am even close to what it is supposed to mean. So I read it again.... and again. Finally I was able to point out some interesting ties and connections that I had not even thought twice about the first time I read it. I was unable to find any deeper meaning or twist to the story itself, that would make it mean anything different, but I was able to find a lot of connections and symbolism that I found pretty interesting. I'm sure that they will all tie together some how when we discuss it in class, but my mind doesn't think as abstract as some of the connections we come up with in class.
The first thing I noticed was the part that said "They passed a large cotton field with five or six graves fenced in the middle of it, like a small island". I was able to pull out two different significance's within this quote alone. The first being the six graves. Six graves, six family members (Bailey, his wife, his mother, and the three kids). To me, this is just plain and simple, it is an allusion that they are all going to end up dying. I also found that the fact that the author compares the graves placement as being 'like a small island', to have importance. This may connect to how they end up later on in the story, The six family members are all trapped (or stranded), and surrounded on all sides by the Misfit's men , similar to being stranded on an island; surrounded on all sides by water. It seems like a stretch... but then again, so do all of the connections we make in class.
Before I go any further, I found there to be religious connections within this story. It was a lot of digging, and making connections that clicked with me, I may be completely wrong here, but the majority of this story broke down, to my interpretation, to have religious connections.
This quote right here is what first led me to the thought of there being religious ties/morals within the story: "The grandmother recalled the times when there were no paved roads and thirty miles a day's journey. the dirt road was hilly and there were sudden washes in it and sharp curves on dangerous embankments. All at once they would be on a hill, looking down over the blue tops of trees for miles around, then the next minute, they would be in a red depression with the dust-coated trees looking down on them." To me, this is ultimately an allusion to their journey toward death. For one, it talks about the road being hilly, with lots of curves. Often when you are on the right pat (in life), it is religiously referred to as the straight and narrow path; which will lead you to heaven. The path to Hell is said to be long, strenuous, curvy, and hard to overcome. Which basically sums up the long, unpaved road that they are traveling on. This to me is what alludes to their travel to death, and more specifically, Hell. It also refers to the road going up at first, being high up, and looking down on the 'blue tops of trees' (blue is often associated with the sky; Heaven), but then they end up down lower in the ground in a 'red depression' (red is often associated with fire; Hell). This just further backs up my thought on what this quote could mean.
So why is this poor, seemingly innocent family headed to hell? Well, based on a few details, these are not the best of people. For instance: "The grandmother said she should have done well to marry Mr. Teagarden because he was a gentleman and... a very wealthy man" This to me, is the authors way of showing us that the grandmother isn't some nice, sweet, innocent lady. But rather, she values money, and material things over wholesome things, family, and relationships. Later on we get the same vibe for June Star "'No I certainly wouldn't' June Star said 'I wouldn't live in a broken-down place like this for a million bucks!'" June Star also values material wealth most.
"The Misfit pointed the toe of his shoe into the ground and made a little hole and then covered it up again" Here is another allusion to death, this sounds a whole lot like a burial, digging a hole in the ground, and then covering it back up.
I am not done yet, and I found a lot more interesting things, for instance, I think that the Misfit (despite how his character may come off) represents God/Jesus, and the grandmother is like the Adversary. I'd love to explain but this is getting long and it is 11:59 so I am out of time. Maybe you can try and figure it out for yourself ")
Wow, you really thought all this out! I think what you said about the grandmother is especially interesting. When I first read the story, I was fooled by the fact she is referred to as a grandmother. So I thought she was a better person than she seems now.
ReplyDeleteDid you feel any conflict in how you viewed the grandmother and the Misfit throughout the story, or was it much easier to see the perspective of just one of them?
I got really deep into this story for some reason. I too was fooled by the grandmother at first, it wasn't until I read through it a second time that I started to catch onto the small things. And yes, I did feel conflict in how i viewed the grandmother and the misfit. I found it very odd that I could find a connection like Jesus in a man who indirectly killed an entire family and Satan in what seemed to be an innocent old grandmother, but perhaps that is what the author intended.
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