We've started to identify many of the tensions in the opening of Caldwell's novel: the tension between word and deed, science and superstition, women and men, action and inaction, and the town and the country. We also raised some important questions about the role of empathy in this text and the ethics of representing poverty. Keep following these issues and keeping thinking about WHY the characters act in the manners that they do.
Here are some additional links to check out:
Background from The New Georgia Encyclopedia on Caldwell and his novels.
Another trailer for the movie on YouTube.
The original song "God's Little Acre" by Joe Valino (1957)
Another clip from the film on YouTube. (with Darling Jill and the Albino)
One scene of interest to me was the speech Ty Ty gives on page 88+. He justifies his lust for Griselda by saying that his urges are natural and not to be hidden. The recurring metaphor is that of Ty Ty as a dog, both unable to control himself and unrepentant of the fact. He even goes so far as to present a particularly graphic image of dogs in heat and then say that it is “God’s own truth as He would tell it Himself”. Thus, Ty Ty profanes his perception of God so that his own sins are lessened. The image of the dogs as representative of Ty Ty’s need for instant gratification can also be linked to his overall mission. Like lusting after Griselda, his son’s wife, Ty Ty pursues instant gratification in the dream of finding gold in his backyard. But like his lecherous urges, searching for the lode serves only to stall Ty Ty, resulting in neither growth nor progress.
ReplyDeleteI would like to mention the relationship between Ty Ty and his girls. On page 88 before he goes off on his rant about how pretty he thinks Griselda is, but he also mentions how he thinks he was given the "finest-looking daughters" a man could hope for. Weird, right? I understand that a father can be proud of his daughters for turning out well, but admiring their looks? Caldwell has us questioning this relationship throughout the book. We know that Darling Jill is very open about her sexuality, and Rosamond isn't. Since Darling Jill is still living at home with her father perhaps her father's openness about sexuality rubbed off on Darling Jill? She is so defiant it's like the entire family realizes they can't do anything about it, so they just deal with it. As I read through this book, I was so uneasy about Ty Ty speaking that way to his daughters and Griselda. If I were Griselda, I would be so nervous around any of these men. But as some of you have mentioned previously, maybe this wsa just normal for society in this time.
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ReplyDeleteI am, like almost everyone else in the class, disgusted by Ty Ty's obsession with Griselda. On pages 136 and 137, where Ty Ty stands at the door and watches her undress are just beyond my comprehension! I really wish Buck would tell Ty Ty to leave her alone. Buck get furious with will, threatening to kill him, but doesn't say one word to his father.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what happened to Ty Ty wife's and what she would do if she were present.
The second thing that nags me about this text is the relationship between Rosamond and Will. She constantly witnesses his acts of infidelity and never stands up to him. I see Rosamond as a sympathetic character but I feel frustrated with her for allowing Will to repeatedly walk all over her.
Every relationship in this book seems twisted. I’m curious to see whether or not the missing mother has anything to do with the turnout of the family or what other factors contributed to this bazaar group of people.
I had the same frustration with Rosamond that "lrporter" has. I could only come up with her not wanting to be alone, but I knew it had to be something more complex than that. Then, I read Griselda's portions on pages 182-183 when she's talking with Ty Ty. This made Rosamond's staying with Will and accepting his behavior make more sense, at least concerning her psychological state.
ReplyDeleteTy Ty and Will are composed of "feeling," which is the only way they know how to live, versus going to church and "thinking" how one should live (or, how the preacher tells you to live). According to Ty Ty, people just need to live how God made them. He believes when people try to go to church and live how the preacher tells them, if it's contrary to how they were "made" (i.e. with "feeling" like Ty Ty and Will), then chaos will ensue. So, according to Ty Ty, there are two types of people: ones who are brain thinkers and those who are feelers. When the two mix in one person, we get characters like Will and Jim Leslie who are shot and killed.
That's why Griselda and Darling Jill are so attracted to Will and why Rosamond stays with Will. After all, he's "the male man" as Black Sam names him, pitting masculinity against maleness. Will's the combination of maleness and masculinity, where most of the other male characters are just males.