There are a lot of passages in the story that suggest common Appalachian stereotypes and give insight into the culture that we have studied over the course of the semester. With that said, there are two passages that stand out more than others because they allow open ended thoughts that are crucial in debating the aforementioned stereotypes.
Book Two, page 91 we are hearing from Jackie, Rachel’s daughter. We know Rachel had sex with Dillon, her cousin, and Tony, her husband, only a couple days apart before she was pregnant. As an attempt to resist stereotypes and taboo judgment from the public, Rachel claims Tony to be Jackie’s father and covers up the affair with Dillon. However, on this page we start to get hints that perhaps this is not the truth. Jackie and Dillon have much more a father-daughter connection than Jackie and Tony but in this passage Giardina gives us a little more to work with. Tony’s “friend” Jean calls Jackie beautiful and Jackie thinks in response, ” I wouldn’t believe anyone who calls me beautiful” (91). Is Jackie ugly or deformed? Is this as a result of incest as Rachel’s mother warned? Right after, Jackie claims that her father is always willing to buy her food because “He thinks I’m [she is] too skinny” (91). Dillon has also been described as skinny. I think this passage is important because it gives us hints to work with that perhaps Dillon is the biological father, and these thoughts reaffirm the negative stereotype that has settled in the region.
The next passage I found is on page 229. This one is important because it highlights the other aspect of the region. The nature. Hassel closes her segment illustrating the scenery, or “God’s earth” (229). This is important because it contrasts the thoughts of industrializing the area and the drama that is occurring in this spider web of events. Beneath all of the craziness brought about by people is raw, untouched beauty of Appalachian nature.
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