Journal #12

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?

A couple of the major themes that I have noticed in what I have read and what we have discussed for class include the ideas of how violence has an effect on the thought and identities that are shaped in families as well as culture. Another theme that I have noticed is the idea that History not only repeats itself, but there are times in which history is shaped and molded by those telling the story so that it is remembered the way that they want others to believe, which in the case of “The Kentucky Cycle” is not always the truth, but it is exactly what they want you to believe happened. These two themes are important because they are applicable to everyday life and are things that we as individuals today can change for our future. “The Kentucky Cycle” shows how three families are entangled with one another and the ways in which their lives are all effected by the people around them. There is a large history of violence within Patrick’s family and this is something that leads to watching history repeating itself when people discuss the fact that when he kills his father you can see that he was definitely his fathers son.