It was not a stranger they were looking for, but their very own sister. Karen Russell wrote a short story called “Haunting Olivia”, and it is about the death of a young girl and her grieving brothers. Wallow and Timothy go to Gannon’s Boat Graveyard whenever they get the opportunity because they are looking for their sister, Olivia. Gannon’s Boat Graveyard is a place where people come to leave their abandoned boats. Each time they go they wear diabolical goggles. The boys believe that since they are designed for girls, that this will give them the power to get in touch with their dead sister. Wallow and Timothy live with their Granana because their parents leave for excursions to find exotic birds. Their parents use their excursions as a defense
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Timothy gets angry at Wallow and shouts at him, explaining that he wants to leave. Wallow yells back to Timothy, “And leave Olivia here for dead? Is that what you want?” (Russell 16). Wallow does not understand that Olivia is already dead, she is just a spirit now. Similar to their parents, Wallow uses this as his defense mechanism. The story shows this by expressing that Wallow will go to the ends of the earth if he could see his sister. Wallow thinks that he cannot forgive himself, until Olivia forgives him. Unlike his parents, Wallow faces his grief, while his parents run from it. He wants to do the right thing, and while doing this he ignores …show more content…
Their parents have been absent since the death of Olivia, and Granana is not able to fill the role that they boys need. They do not have anyone to tell them the circumstances of the situation, and how they can recover from it. Timothy describes how Granana reacts to Olivia’s death, “She didn’t cry at Olivia’s funeral, and I doubt she even remembers Olivia’s name,” (Russell 9). The adult in their life right now could not help them through the tough time, and they think the only person that will help them come to accept her death is Olivia. They lack a teacher, guide, and a parent. Whether the boys come to accept Olivia’s death, the reason they believe they would find her is because they have not been informed otherwise. Wallow does not want to live with this guilt for the rest of his life. “What if all the Olivia-ness has already seeped out of her and evaporated into the violet welter of clouds?” (Russell 13). Timothy wants Wallow to understand that Olivia could be anywhere and everywhere. That is the point, she is listening to them. Just because they are not able to see her physical body, does not imply that she is not hearing them. Olivia has found her home, and will continue to live her life the way she is suppose to, and the boys should do the
Timothy gets angry at Wallow and shouts at him, explaining that he wants to leave. Wallow yells back to Timothy, “And leave Olivia here for dead? Is that what you want?” (Russell 16). Wallow does not understand that Olivia is already dead, she is just a spirit now. Similar to their parents, Wallow uses this as his defense mechanism. The story shows this by expressing that Wallow will go to the ends of the earth if he could see his sister. Wallow thinks that he cannot forgive himself, until Olivia forgives him. Unlike his parents, Wallow faces his grief, while his parents run from it. He wants to do the right thing, and while doing this he ignores …show more content…
Their parents have been absent since the death of Olivia, and Granana is not able to fill the role that they boys need. They do not have anyone to tell them the circumstances of the situation, and how they can recover from it. Timothy describes how Granana reacts to Olivia’s death, “She didn’t cry at Olivia’s funeral, and I doubt she even remembers Olivia’s name,” (Russell 9). The adult in their life right now could not help them through the tough time, and they think the only person that will help them come to accept her death is Olivia. They lack a teacher, guide, and a parent. Whether the boys come to accept Olivia’s death, the reason they believe they would find her is because they have not been informed otherwise. Wallow does not want to live with this guilt for the rest of his life. “What if all the Olivia-ness has already seeped out of her and evaporated into the violet welter of clouds?” (Russell 13). Timothy wants Wallow to understand that Olivia could be anywhere and everywhere. That is the point, she is listening to them. Just because they are not able to see her physical body, does not imply that she is not hearing them. Olivia has found her home, and will continue to live her life the way she is suppose to, and the boys should do the