These weren't milksop crybabies pining for their man. These women could have done two tours in Vietnam and never blinked.
It was a challenge to find an article that focused on the female aspects of Winter's Bone, especially considering all the hoopla over the film adaptation that came out two years ago. But I finally managed to track down an article that seemed to fit the bill:
http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2010/08/03/chilling-truths-in-winter%e2%80%99s-bone/
This blog essay actually begins as a film review of Winter's Bone, but the author, Natalie Wilson of Ms. Magazine, quickly turns to the prevalent theme of strong women throughout the movie. The film would appear to follow Woodrell's depiction of women, even down to the dialogue used in the story. Wilson discusses the "extraordinary portrait of the ways class and gender intersect, revealing how the patriarchal Dolly clan abuses not only drugs, but also its female family members," and praises the women of the Ozarks of Woodrell's literary work for their unremitting strength of purpose, if not character. Wilson laments that the feminist narrative is frequently overlooked by modern reviewers who seem to prefer to focus upon the misery of poverty and the insidious grip of meth on the Winter's Bone communities.
At first glance, I almost kept searching for further articles, because this one was clearly a film review. However, the author's emphasis on the female aspect of Winter's Bone resonated with my own interpretations. While Wilson delved into the feminist facet of the film and I find myself drawn to the implicit strength in each woman of the story, we both seem to share an attaction for the female characters and their interactions within the male-dominated rural community of the Ozarks. This article could be a good starting point for a paper discussing the various aspects of the female presence in Woodrell's Ozark community, a presence that perhaps didn't dominate, but nonetheless heavily influenced the world of Ree Dolly.
Wilson, Natalie. "Chilling Truths In Winter's Bone." Ms. Magazine.com, August 3, 2010. Web. March 7, 2012.
James,
ReplyDeletePatriarchy is definitely an underlying theme in Winter's Bone. The women, especially Ree, are very capable and self-empowered. However, at the end of the day, they still must answer to a man or risk violent discipline. You make a keen observation regarding the descriptions of male and female characters. I agree, with the exception of uncle Teardop, Woodrell devotes much more description to female characters. I watched the movie, and quite a bit is similar, but it is toned down. Also, character development is lacking (some character are not shown and some are changed altogether). I believe this article is not only a good start, but will serve as support for your thesis throughout your entire essay.
-Aaron
I took away a lot of the same from reading the novel. The women did definitely have a presence in their society different than most. The issue of "roles" was one of the most crucial elements of the story. Whenever reading I found myself wondering, "is this how I would do things", or "do I know women like that?" Many of the traditional ways I and I think most of us are accustomed to are very different than the novel. Your picture fits perfectly with at least one of the characters in the story!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to first start off by saying this picture is wonderful and fits the story perfectly. I too saw that the women of Ozarks strength was prevalent. Even though the men seemed to make the money, the women cleaned up their messes. They also seemed to take care of the household. I think it would be difficult to be a woman in that sort of environment. I thought that your article did a nice job on reiterating this aspect. I look forward to reading your essay I think that this outlook is a good one to take.
ReplyDeleteJames,
ReplyDeleteLove the photo. I really enjoy that you chose another article to write on other than "Methland". I like your interpretation on the female aspect of Daniel Woodrells "Winters Bone" and the correlation you drew between the movie and the book. Well Done!
-David