Come Home: The Trip to Bountiful Mrs. Carrie Watts, the main character in the movie, personifies the three common dilemmas of old age, e.g., “Where will I live? How will I cope by myself? And, What should I do about money” (Solie, 2004, pp. 91, 95, & 99). Having lived most of her life in the wide and open field of the town of Bountiful, Mrs. Watts cherished the thought of coming home to Bountiful. There had been several attempts in the past, that were all foiled by her over-protective son and overbearing daughter-in-law. Time and time again, she would express to her son, her desire to go back to Bountiful. The son, for the practical reason of employment opportunity, always decided against the idea of going back to Bountiful. It was a toss …show more content…
The son’s recollection of the death of his grandfather, brought feelings of remorse and regret that he would not be able to fulfill his promise to his grandmother to name his children after his grandfather. Field (2000) suggested that memories of such death are remembered “in great detail and … that the memory of these deaths and the associated feelings had stayed with them throughout their lives” (p. 282). Mrs. Watts, on the other hand, like any older person, considered death, as a welcomed state. As cited by Field …show more content…
On the actual trip to Bountiful, it was Thelma, the young lady whom Mrs. Watts exchanged memories and confidences that provided a more meaningful companionship that would last long after the trip. When Thelma was gone, it was the country Sheriff who would see through the heart of Mrs. Watts, her long desire to go home to Bountiful. The car ride to the town and the few moments outside the deserted and empty house, would be witnesses to the act of kindness and understanding of the Sheriff towards an old lady, whose only wish was to see for the last time her home in Bountiful. The Personality of Carrie Watts Carrie Watts was a countrywoman at heart. She loved the childhood home where she grew up and never liked the life of the city she was forced to live. She did not hide the fact that she was miserable living with her daughter-in-law. She appeared to be long suffering, a martyr, and given to fits and crying (Ebert, 1986). When given the right timing and occasion, she would open up like a flower, blooming for the first time. She found solace remembering her past life and held a candle to the time when she would go back to
The author initially uses words with negative connotation, such “wild,” “storm of grief,” and “sank into her soul” (1), to suggest a normal reaction to the death of a loved one.
By using the stream of consciousness technique, Porter establishes Granny Weatherall's background. The occasional glimpse into the main character's past reveals the demanding responsibilities of a young widow. She reflects on how digging post holes, riding country roads in the winter, and sitting up nights with sick horses, negroes, and children, changed her from the bride her late husband had known. Furthermore, the technique challenges the reader to draw conclusions from the vague references of death of her husband, John, and her daughter, Hapsy. Granny Weatherall imagines seeing John again, pondering on how her children a...
The funeral was supposed to be a family affair. She had not wanted to invite so many people, most of them strangers to her, to be there at the moment she said goodbye. Yet, she was not the only person who had a right to his last moments above the earth, it seemed. Everyone, from the family who knew nothing of the anguish he had suffered in his last years, to the colleagues who saw him every day but hadn’t actually seen him, to the long-lost friends and passing acquaintances who were surprised to find that he was married, let alone dead, wanted to have a last chance to gaze upon him in his open coffin and say goodbye.
Her mother had died after being hit by a reckless driver. Alice, a fifteen-year old, African-American girl, was now without her natural and most influential guide on how to cope with the powerful transition from girl to lady.
of memories” (Walker, 254). It is a representation of her mother’s love and warmth. The
We are given the feeling of being in an idyllic, rural world. She enhances this feeling with little vignettes that are almost cliched in their banality: the little boys guarding their pile of stones in the town square; the towns-people gathering and interacting with each other as if they were at a country fair; Mrs. Hutchinson arriving late because she hadn't finished the dishes; even the good-natured complaining of Old Man Warner. All of these scenes and vignettes are used effectively to put us at our ease and to distract us from the horror that is to come.
The novel shadows the life of Janie Crawford pursuing the steps of becoming the women that her grandmother encouraged her to become. By the means of doing so, she undergoes a journey of discovering her authentic self and real love. Despise the roller-coaster obstacles, Janie Crawford’s strong-will refuses to get comfortable with remorse, hostility, fright, and insanity.
From being able to save up money to buy a car and move out to West Virginia and then leaving the responsibility of finances and income to her children, Rose Mary Wall’s helped put Jeanette and her siblings through a hard and tough childhood. Although, a debate could be made that with all the awful impacts that the mother had on her children, all she really did was actually positively influence them to be able to conquer any hardship that they may face in their life. In the end, Rose Mary Wall’s character of being independent, unreasonable, and stubborn did both positively and negatively impact her children’s lives through the hardships they all faced
Weslaco is a small town which is great, it’s where all her friends live and where her life is. She loves it here and it being a small town has taught her to appreciate the little things in life, but this has not impacted her life the most. You see Rebecca has learned the most from her parents, most importantly her dad. Their marriage was not perfect, in fact it was broken. This marriage took away her innocence at a young age and taught her that reality
From her death-bed, Elizabeth Johnson heard the corn stalks rustling, calling her name. Her withered, bare feet hit the hardwood floor of her bedroom. She glanced at her hospice nurse, Ethel, snoring in the big overstuffed chair by her bed. She picked up the family portrait of her husband and her three kids, kissed it and laid it on the bed. She shuffled in the dark, knowing every corner of the old farmhouse her daddy had built. Her tired legs ached with each step, but the stalks kept whispering her name as they blew in the October wind, and so she plowed on.
As I walked through the door of the funeral home, the floral arrangements blurred into a sea of vivid colors. Wiping away my tears, I headed over to the collage of photographs of my grandfather. His smile seemed to transcend the image on the pictures, and for a moment, I could almost hear his laughter and see his eyes dancing as they tended to do when he told one of his famous jokes. My eyes scanned the old photographs, searching for myself amidst the images. They came to rest on a photo of Grandpa holding me in his lap when I was probably no more than four years old. The flowers surrounding me once again blended into an array of hues as I let my mind wander……
She continues in this sequel to talk about the abuse she faced and the dysfunction that surrounded her life as a child and as a teen, and the ‘empty space’ in which she lived in as a result. She talks about the multiple personalities she was exhibiting, the rebellious “Willie” and the kind “Carol”; as well as hearing noises and her sensory problems. In this book, the author puts more emphasis on the “consciousness” and “awareness” and how important that was for her therapeutic process. She could not just be on “auto-pilot” and act normal; the road to recovery was filled with self-awareness and the need to process all the pieces of the puzzle—often with the guidance and assistance of her therapist. She had a need to analyze the abstract concept of emotions as well as feelings and thoughts. Connecting with others who go through what she did was also integral to her
Death is something that no one likes to encounter. Weather it be a friend, relative, teacher or even a pet. Growing up in Martinez, California everyone knows everyone because it is such a small town and when big news hits our little town, it gets spread pretty fast and when the news is about a young girl who passed away, the world seems to stand still. It is a feeling that will rush over someone and take control of their mind, body and soul; it is a feeling that I would not wish on my worst enemy. Losing someone is never easy. No matter if they knew the person or if they didn’t, it takes a toll on them emotionally and physically. In the essay, “The Washing” by Reshma Memon Yaqub, the author was not directly related to the women who passed away but she was still
Katherine Philips is desperately trying to renew her faith in life, but she is struggling to do so because of the death of her son. She is attempting to justify the loss of her child as a form of consolation, while keeping somewhat emotionally detached to the later death of her stepson in “In Memory of F.P.” The differing phrases, words, and language contrast the two elegies and emphasize the loss and pain in “Epitaph” while diminishing the pain in “Memory of FP.”
As she stared out the window, she reminisced on her past. Her mind brought her back to the night of her mother’s death. Her mom was ill and on the verge of insanity when she promised her that “she would keep the home together as long as she could” (5). At the time women did not have much voice in their home, work, or commun...