For today’s prompt, I want you to reflect on The Kentucky Cycle‘s first part. What are some of the key themes explored in the text so far? Why are they significant?

One of the major themes I saw emerging from the first part of the Kentucky Cycle is the idea that all people from Appalachia are poor, struggling white men who abuse their wives and other women. The best example is in The Courtship of MorningStar. They live in a simple cabin in the woods, and every day with Michael is a fight. Morningstar does not want to be his wife and is essentially beaten or raped everyday. It really is not a courtship. From that you can see the theme arising that women are not treated well in Appalachia through the years. I am writing my research essay on women of Appalachia and the Kentucky Cycle gives me an insight that the stereotype may be true if it is still a problem that is written about today. Today, women in the region are still considered to be struggling against violence, poor healthcare, and poverty. Though the Kentucky Cycle is fiction, it can help me to decide which stereotypes are worth discussing, especially with the themes that emerge in the first section.