Bastard out of Carolina

In these chapters, the role of women drastically changes. in the first third of the book, they seem very level headed and loving. in this part of the book they seem to be driven more by their emotions. The women seem to think emotionaly rather than rationally, for example, because mama is supposed to love bone, bone loves her back, even though mama still blames bone for her beatings.

The reason for this may be that the author wants to show the unpredictability of the characters, especially the boatwrights. it seems like the simple lives of the boatwrights seem to fall apart the more the characters let their emotions run their lives.

In Bastard out of Carolina the role of women in the novel is a very interesting one. As bone is growing up, there are countless female role models around her. Her mother for example became a mother at the age of seventeen. Bones father split, leaving her to raise bone all by herself. she managed to find a new husband, and after only a short period of time, is left with two daughters and no husband. the strength that bones mother shows in order to be a full time mom, as well as a waitress at the local diner is impressive. Bones grandmother is full of wisdom. always telling stories to comfort the kids, she is a constant source of entertainment, or answers to all those in need.

bone does convey the desire to be a boy. it shows the men in the novel in a kind of Neanderthal way, fighting, drinking, smoking. they seem to lack most real intelligence. the women in the novel carry the worry and the weight, and they are the ones that have to find ways to fix all the small problems. the men simply cause trouble. this may be the reason that bone wishes to be part of the male race, to be able to go through life with out caring, to avoid all the disconcerting conversations about her illegitimate birth or her poor financial situation.