Koushik Mamidala
Bastard Out of Carolina
Open Essay A Boatwright Woman In the novel Bastard Out of Carolina, written by Dorothy Allison, there is a major difference between male and female. Coinciding with the time frame of the book, woman were still getting repressed and were expected to attend the household rather than explore the world unlike men. Right away, Anna Ruth realizes this difference when she says, “ Men could do anything, and everything they did, no matter how violent or mistaken, was viewed with humor and understanding” (Allison 23). This sort of society is not just implemented into society, yet it is developed. For example, during Aunt Ruth’s funeral Earle attends with another girl which he “intended to marry”; he has done…show more content… The conversation he has with Raylene shows this unfair advantage males have developed: “ you marry her, than? Aunt Alma looked tired and impatient. I’m going to. Hell yes. I am, I surely am. Goddam, Earle, you fool. One of your women gonna have you put in jail one of these days. An’t no woman ever gonna put me in jail… An’t no woman would dare” (Allison 238). Males think that they can get away from the mess they cause because they don't have a direct consequence such as a baby or a plagued reputation in society. However, males get this idea that they can escape punishment because woman are supposed to be enduring and mutare. On page 23 Ruth says here aunt “ treated my uncles like overgrown boys - rambunctious teenagers…” (Allison 23). Mother are supposed to be the bigger person, and when their child does something wrong the mother is not going to break down. She would still be expected to love the child and provide care for…show more content… For example, when Annie refused to take arrestive action against Glen when Bone was getting beat, it allowed Glen to continue his action which hurt Bone greatly. Also because of the nature of the males in the novel the boatwright females share common characteristics “ … like Mama, a Boatwright woman.” (Allison 309) What this means is that all of the women are strong and enduring. The Grandmother, because the Grandfather died and she had to raise all of the children, Anny because all of her traumatic experiences, Alma having to deal with disrespect and unfaithfulness, and Bone with her beatings and her mother leaving at the end of the book. All these characters have another common thing, they can live without a man in their life. All of them expect Anny. She is so desperate to have a husband, that she is willing to give up her own child for it. On a scale for how well she would fit into the calcification of “”boatwright woman” she would be on the lower end. Where as Bone would be the highest on the list. Bona is having to live not only without a man, but also her own mother, and sister. None of the other woman had to deal with that. They always have had each other growing up and in their adult life. Bone is on her own from