In chapters 11 and 12 of Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward, Ward conveys hope and resilience during and after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. During the hurricane, Skeetah reveals to Daddy that Esch is pregnant, which allows for him to be more considerate and caring towards Esch. Esch also relates hurricanes to mothers throughout the last couple chapters to further prove that both a mother and a hurricane can kill and make alive. Big Henry shows once again that he is able to care for the Batiste Family and Esch when they need it the most, and Esch begins to see that Big Henry and her family members have always been there for her. These different reasons resonate with the themes of hope and resilience because through each of these events,
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Esch states that “Katrina is the mother we will remember until the next mother with large, merciless hands, committed to blood, comes” (255), to relate mothers to hurricanes. In the epigraph, within Deuteronomy, the resemblance between a mother and a hurricane become clear, “I kill and I make alive”. Both a mother and a hurricane kill. A mother can kill due to a miscarriage, and a hurricane can kill because of destruction. A mother can make alive by giving birth to a child. A hurricane can kill, but for the Batiste family, they can make alive because during destruction the Batiste Family is able to work together in order to survive and they centralize and focus all their efforts into the goal of staying alive. all of their efforts are centralized and focused on the one goal of being alive. A mother can make alive by giving birth to a child. Both mothers and hurricanes allow for a deepened understanding of what it means to be alive because of the strength that is necessary in order to survive and provide for the needs of a young child. demonstrate as a child and as a …show more content…
The last chapter compares Big Henry and Daddy’s personalities and their care for Esch Both the men y allow Esch to understand how much the men in her life care about her. Big Henry tells Esch and her family how he brought his machete just in case he had to “cut through” (242) anything to find them. Ward depicts Big Henry as a caring and kind-hearted character in many scenarios, but in this moment it is clear that Big Henry is apart of the family. Big Henry is always there for Esch as well as well as her family, in the beginning of the story, when Esch falls, it Big Henry who is there to help and take care of her. This suggests that while Esch focused on Manny, she was blind to the fact that Big Henry cared for her immensely.It is not until Big Henry says, “don’t forget you have me”( 255), that Esch finally begins to realize how much he truly cares for her. It is apparent that Esch takes his kindness for granted because she never acknowledges it, but Big Henry never ceases to stop caring about her. Daddy’s personality and care for Esch and her family are truly represented in the last few chapters of the novel. In these chapters, he displays what it means to be resilient, even with a “hand torn to shreds”(232), he continues to fight in order to take care
Esch states that “Katrina is the mother we will remember until the next mother with large, merciless hands, committed to blood, comes” (255), to relate mothers to hurricanes. In the epigraph, within Deuteronomy, the resemblance between a mother and a hurricane become clear, “I kill and I make alive”. Both a mother and a hurricane kill. A mother can kill due to a miscarriage, and a hurricane can kill because of destruction. A mother can make alive by giving birth to a child. A hurricane can kill, but for the Batiste family, they can make alive because during destruction the Batiste Family is able to work together in order to survive and they centralize and focus all their efforts into the goal of staying alive. all of their efforts are centralized and focused on the one goal of being alive. A mother can make alive by giving birth to a child. Both mothers and hurricanes allow for a deepened understanding of what it means to be alive because of the strength that is necessary in order to survive and provide for the needs of a young child. demonstrate as a child and as a …show more content…
The last chapter compares Big Henry and Daddy’s personalities and their care for Esch Both the men y allow Esch to understand how much the men in her life care about her. Big Henry tells Esch and her family how he brought his machete just in case he had to “cut through” (242) anything to find them. Ward depicts Big Henry as a caring and kind-hearted character in many scenarios, but in this moment it is clear that Big Henry is apart of the family. Big Henry is always there for Esch as well as well as her family, in the beginning of the story, when Esch falls, it Big Henry who is there to help and take care of her. This suggests that while Esch focused on Manny, she was blind to the fact that Big Henry cared for her immensely.It is not until Big Henry says, “don’t forget you have me”( 255), that Esch finally begins to realize how much he truly cares for her. It is apparent that Esch takes his kindness for granted because she never acknowledges it, but Big Henry never ceases to stop caring about her. Daddy’s personality and care for Esch and her family are truly represented in the last few chapters of the novel. In these chapters, he displays what it means to be resilient, even with a “hand torn to shreds”(232), he continues to fight in order to take care