In
Winter’s Bone, Ree Dolly proves herself to be a mature caretaker
and teacher of her little brothers by teaching them essential life skills while
also tending to motherly duties for the boys. She teaches the boys about cooking,
handling firearms, and fighting to prepare them for life if she must leave them.
At times, Ree is commanding of the boys much in the same way a parent would be.
While teaching the boys to field dress a squirrel she says, “I mind. Harold,
get your butt down here. You don’t wanna make me run after you. You truly don’t.
Get down here now’n squat beside me. Close your eyes if you want, but get your
goddam fingers in there’n yank out them guts” (107). She commands her little
brother to take the guts out of the squirrel himself, and he complies. This is
evidence that the boys view her as a valuable teacher who they should willingly
listen to. The motherly duties for the boys are also her responsibility because
her mother is mentally ill and unable to take care of anybody. She cooks meals
for them and prepares them for school. Numerous times in the novel she tells
the boys to go catch the bus to school indicating she values their education.
Ree
does not express tenderness towards her family in a traditional way. She doesn’t
coddle her little brothers or constantly shower them with praise. Instead, Ree’s
tenderness towards her family is demonstrated by the lengths she’ll go to in
order to secure their home, land, and livelihood. Living in a rural Ozark
community creates tough people who do not express their feelings like most
others. Following her father’s disappearance, Ree hardly takes the time to
process the fact that her own father is dead. She is more concerned with how to
take care of her family. She is driven to find her father’s remains primarily by
the fact that they will help her keep the land and house. The novel says, when
Ree first grabbed her father out of the water, “She tugged until she saw an
ear, then turned her head and puked at the willow. She did not let go as she
spewed” (185). Notably, she doesn’t cry at the sight of her dead father but instead
pukes like she is just grabbing a random corpse. While the scene clearly
disturbs her, she continues to hold onto the body because she knows its
evidence that will help save the home for the family. These acts of commitment
to the good of the family are how Dollys and others from the community show
tenderness to the ones they love. Ree’s final act of tenderness to the family
is her decision to stay with them at the end of the novel instead of going out
on her own. She has already done so much for them but wants to stay so she can
do more.
Ree's expression of tenderness towards her family is a unique character development taken on by Woodrell, and I absolutely agree with your analysis. Ree is forced to be the head of her family at only 16 years old after her mother battles mental illness and her father goes missing. Other life skills she passes down to Sonny and Harold can be seen at the opening scenes of the novel, when the two are dropped off by Deputy Baskin and Ree warns them "You boys don't need to do no ridin' around with the law. Hear me" (Woodrell 13)? Here, she shows her motherly care by watching out for them, knowing that Baskin is not an officer with a strong reputation. She teaches them lessons learned by other Dollys, trying to keep them safe. Even in the face of Blond Milton where she's shooed out the door, Ree turns to teach her brothers how to make a proper meal better than "basketti" by "cook[ing] those taters 'til they brown. Cook 'em brown, Harold, then be sure to turn the fire off (Woodrell 57). Ree's focus is constantly on her family, even in the face of her own danger when she's being dragged out to a car. Throughout the novel, Ree searches for her father not because she cares for him, but to avoid losing all her, her brothers, and her mother have in their home and land, proving her tenderness and love through all hardship and risks.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to think about how Ree's tender and nurturing behavior, even at such a young age, could be interpreted as a reflection of the generational cycle in the Dolly family and the larger community. It is possible to view the passing down of life skills and protective instincts as a survival strategy that is woven into the very fabric of their existence rather than just a reaction to current challenges.
DeleteRee creates a link between the past and the future by taking on the role of caregiver. The lessons she teaches her brothers are a reflection of the hard work and wisdom of earlier generations of Dollys, who too had to face the challenging circumstances of their surroundings. This gives Ree's tenderness a deeper cultural meaning and suggests that the Dolly lineage has an uninterrupted chain of survival skills and resilience.
An additional fascinating element is the notion that Ree's priority is protecting her family's house and property rather than just looking for her father. It calls into question the fundamental relationship that exists between location, identity, and family history. Ree's gentleness takes on the role of cultural preservation, an attempt to ground her family in the history and geography of their homeland, highlighting the fact that her love is not limited to specific people but also to the very fabric of their family's existence.
By presenting Ree's actions as not just a response to the current situation but also as a part of a greater story woven into the fabric of the Dolly family's history, this viewpoint adds complexity. It implies that her tenderness is a purposeful act of cultural continuity as well as a reaction to the difficulties of the present, highlighting the complex and multi-layered dynamics at work in "Winter's Bone."