Analysis Of Salvage The Bones By Jesmyn Ward

Hurricane Katrina is the most infamous storm in United States history. She ruined everything in her path, from the tangible to the intangible. She impacted the lives and took the lives of many. She forced many to completely rebuild their lives, or begin a new one. In “Salvage the Bones” by Jesmyn Ward, Hurricane Katrina is described as uncontrollable, yet optimistically which forces the reader to either agree or disagree with the descriptions of the storm. Jesmyn Ward’s depiction of Hurricane Katrina was uncontrollable, yet foreseen. Eshe often explained to the reader about how she and her family knew that the storm was coming because hurricanes are quite common in the area, but she never truly knew what to expect. They had to prepare for the storm by watching for signs and preserving what they had. Eshe recants listening to the news which ultimately declared Katrina as a category 5 storm, the worst kind. Later, in chapter twelve, she describes an automated call from the state warning the citizens to evacuate immediately and that staying in the city may result in a list of things including death.
According to Ward, nature, Katrina in this case, was a god. She had a voice and mind of her own. Eshe would tell the reader that Hurricanes sounded like trains and when the storms were about to come, the larger animals will run and take haven. Nature …show more content…
I know that Eshe is capable of understanding what is happening, however, her character development is very stagnant in regards to naivety. She is too hopeful of the future, just like she was hopeful that Manny would be with her, and like she was hopeful that he would take care of her baby. Eshe seems to believe that the storm will just pass over and her life will get better, which is more than likely not going to be the case. The storm should have been the moment where she realised that everything was real and that the storm was going to have a huge bearing on her