Pride & Charity in Winter’s Bone
Daniel Woodrell’s Winter’s Bone tells a story about a young girl, Ree that is trying to find her lost dad to save her family and their house. She does so with great pride and courage and rejects showing weakness. I assert that not asking for help and showing pride is a positive strategy because it ensures that Ree keeps her self-respect since asking for help is a sign of weakness as pride and self-respect is very important in the Ozarks. This attitude in the end would help Ree survive and get what she wanted. This is evident when her younger siblings saw the neighbors cut the meat outside and asked Ree if maybe they should ask for some, Ree replied saying not to ask for what has to be offered. Also, Ree’s …show more content…
In Winter’s Bone, Ree shows such attitude when her younger brother, Harold, asked “Could be we should ask.” (5). Ree replied by saying to “Never. Never ask for what ought to be offered.” (5). In the latter, Ree is teaching her younger siblings to not show weakness, and not to ask for what has to be offered. In other words, Ree thinks that it is the responsibility of the people who have what it takes to help by themselves, specially the fact that they belong to one community. Not asking for help shows confidence and self-respect and can sometimes help increase a person’s …show more content…
The Milton’s seem to have inflected on such expectations. This is shown in the novel when Ree was asked to not come back again asking for Jessup at the Milton’s. But she insisted that on speaking with Thump Milton and hence she came back. When she comes back, the Milton sister’s beat her up bad and tell Ree that “You was warned. You was warned nice’n you wouldn’t listen—why didn’t you listen?”(132). “I can’t listen. I can’t just listen.”(132). In the latter, Ree is not showing any sign of weakness not fear from the Milton’s. This is later reflected on Ree finding her father. “We’ll carry you to your daddy’s bones, child. We know the place.”(180). As a result of Ree’s self-confidence and pride towards the Milton’s, they believed that Ree is strong enough and will never snitch on them. In other words, they trusted her as well as sympathized with what she was dealing with, in which they ended up showing her where her father’s body is.
In conclusion, Winter’s Bone follows Ree’s search for her father, Jessup. In her search, Ree discovers more of herself and her community. Her pride and choosing not to show weakness has helped Ree keep her self-respect and get what she wanted in the end. Not showing weakness can have reverse psychological effects which would further lead to people changing their belief in what to expect and thus could benefit both
Daniel Woodrell’s Winter’s Bone tells a story about a young girl, Ree that is trying to find her lost dad to save her family and their house. She does so with great pride and courage and rejects showing weakness. I assert that not asking for help and showing pride is a positive strategy because it ensures that Ree keeps her self-respect since asking for help is a sign of weakness as pride and self-respect is very important in the Ozarks. This attitude in the end would help Ree survive and get what she wanted. This is evident when her younger siblings saw the neighbors cut the meat outside and asked Ree if maybe they should ask for some, Ree replied saying not to ask for what has to be offered. Also, Ree’s …show more content…
In Winter’s Bone, Ree shows such attitude when her younger brother, Harold, asked “Could be we should ask.” (5). Ree replied by saying to “Never. Never ask for what ought to be offered.” (5). In the latter, Ree is teaching her younger siblings to not show weakness, and not to ask for what has to be offered. In other words, Ree thinks that it is the responsibility of the people who have what it takes to help by themselves, specially the fact that they belong to one community. Not asking for help shows confidence and self-respect and can sometimes help increase a person’s …show more content…
The Milton’s seem to have inflected on such expectations. This is shown in the novel when Ree was asked to not come back again asking for Jessup at the Milton’s. But she insisted that on speaking with Thump Milton and hence she came back. When she comes back, the Milton sister’s beat her up bad and tell Ree that “You was warned. You was warned nice’n you wouldn’t listen—why didn’t you listen?”(132). “I can’t listen. I can’t just listen.”(132). In the latter, Ree is not showing any sign of weakness not fear from the Milton’s. This is later reflected on Ree finding her father. “We’ll carry you to your daddy’s bones, child. We know the place.”(180). As a result of Ree’s self-confidence and pride towards the Milton’s, they believed that Ree is strong enough and will never snitch on them. In other words, they trusted her as well as sympathized with what she was dealing with, in which they ended up showing her where her father’s body is.
In conclusion, Winter’s Bone follows Ree’s search for her father, Jessup. In her search, Ree discovers more of herself and her community. Her pride and choosing not to show weakness has helped Ree keep her self-respect and get what she wanted in the end. Not showing weakness can have reverse psychological effects which would further lead to people changing their belief in what to expect and thus could benefit both