Yes, the Kentucky Cycle is a bit, well, mean spirited. The characters are all a bit stereotypical, and in a pretty terrible way. They fight, kill, rape, force marriage, and cheat their way through 250 years if history. But in the end, doesn’t the play end up showing that even the worst of the worst can rise above the challenges and hardships of life to break the cycle of evil? Does the Kentucky Cycle come to and end, leaving the opportunity for greatness ahead? Most people do things in their life that they are ashamed of, and that is just something we as humans are forced to live with. No one said that getting to this point in human existence would be without fault. But in the end, this book teaches us all a very important lesson: No matter where you come from or what has happened, you can break the cycle. You can do more than others before you, no matter what has previously happened in your life. This to me is the main take away from the book, and to me it does not seem like a goal that is worthy of criticism. Seriously, if every region, race, or gender got upset over every semi-negative portrayal of themselves in media, where would society be? I understand that the Rowan’s are not the ideal family to show when first learning about the Appalachian region, but I think they do the job better than anyone else, and that to me is enviable. They prove that it is possible to rise above the challenges, to become better than your ancestors, to break the Kentucky Cycle.

Ha Ha, that was a bit cliched now, wasn’t it?