Essay 3

Aaron Isaacson

English 102

Mrs. Cline

14 March 2012

The Humanization of the Ozarks

            Daniel Woodrell’s novel, Winter’s Bone, offers a unique perspective of the Ozark community. Unfortunately, this community has long been subject to negative stereotypes (Jones n.p.). In spite of these rigid and critical stereotypes, the Ozark community boasts many positive attributes which are often overlooked. Woodrell was born and reared in a similar setting. He was once a wild child who resisted the notion of settling down (Tibbetts n.p.). Woodrell’s writing enabled him to establish direction, pursue his dreams and, ultimately, escape these forlorn circumstances (Tibbetts n.p.).   Nevertheless, Woodrell retains a deep connection with Ozark society. He respects genuine, down-to-earth people with no pretensions. Although they struggle, they do the best they can with what they have. Woodrell embraces characters others often disregard; compelling his audience to care more about them (Tibbetts n.p.). The purpose of Woodrell’s novel is to portray the rural Ozark community members as multidimensional people made up of both good and evil qualities. He seeks to elicit an empathetic response for these often misunderstood people by demonstrating their complex character dynamics.  

Woodrell evokes empathy as he sculpts lower class characters that engage in acts of transgression yet have redeeming qualities.  Ben Westhoff, a writer for The Riverfront Times, sees the underprivileged characters as having “superior self-awareness despite often-questionable judgment” (Westhoff n.p.). Ree’s uncle, Teardrop, is a prime example. When Ree first approaches him with her concerns over her missing father, he resists and becomes enraged. However, when Ree’s life is in danger, Teardrop comes through for her, saving her life. Merab and her sisters also display these changeable qualities. In the beginning, they reject Ree’s pleas for help, and when she persists they beat her mercilessly (Woodrell 129-130). Ultimately, they express sympathy for her injuries and the gravity of her situation. They show remorse by coming to her aid and leading her to her father’s corpse, which will ultimately allows her to save her family’s land and continue to care for her younger siblings and disabled mother. Woodrell wants his audience to know that these lower class characters are not simply black and white. In fact, he appears to have more quarrels with the upper class. Woodrell discusses the immoral experience he had in the elitist environment of graduate school: “"There's a whole lot of sucking and fucking to get ahead in the writing racket up there…I came out very angry. The truth is, I found the morality of the place repugnant" (Westhoff n.p.). Although the lower class has its imperfections, Woodrell is sympathetic because their positive qualities frequently outweigh the negative.

            Woodrell believes that poor struggling people who embrace self-reliance at any cost are worthy of compassion. He has always felt a calling to write about rugged and resilient individuals who often go unnoticed by the greater culture (Westhoff n.p.). The Ozarks people are simple folks, capable of sustaining themselves with scant resources and the bounty of their land. There is no need for modern heating appliances to endure harsh Ozark winters. Instead, timber is gathered, split by hand, and burned in old potbelly stoves (Woodrell 9). Deer and squirrels are common fare. “Woodrell plucks his desolate characters from family albums, feeding them navy beans with hambone over cornbread, learning 'em to kill and skin up a squirrel, just like his old granddaddy taught him” (Westhoff n.p.). Woodrell describes characters with great detail regarding their physical stature. It suggests an aptitude for self-sustenance where tough manual labor is required. Self-reliance is a positive quality; however, it may have negative effects as is the case of the family business of manufacturing methamphetamine (crank).

Although Woodrell condemns the manufacture and sale of methamphetamine, he sympathizes with those who produce it as a means of survival. He recognizes, “…in an area where the average income for a guy who could get a job is under $20k a year that it's something where you can go and pick up a quick $3k in one weekend without too much knowledge or effort, it's kind of hard to convince them not to do it” (Tibbetts n.p.). Crank is a rapidly growing industry in the Ozarks. When Ree tells Megan her dad cooks crank, she replies, “Honey, they all do now. You don’t even need to say it out loud” (Woodrell 51). Ever since the stockyards and shoe and cheese factories closed down, years ago, there has been a growing scarcity of decent-paying work (Westhoff n.p.). Although producing crank has harsh consequences, it is an act of desperation. Woodrell resonates with the less fortunate as he once resorted to similar methods of provision during his hard times. Following his discharge from the military, Woodrell chose a life of hitchhiking; escaping conformity and selling marijuana as a principal means of survival (Westhoff n.p.).         

The town might feel more like a prison, if it were not obviously home (Jones n.p.). Woodrell creates empathy for those who use drugs for escapism. Ree is one of a few exceptions. While she does partake in marijuana and alcohol use occasionally, her main “vice” is tranquil sounds (Woodrell 9). In an interview Woodrell says, “There has never been a time when folks didn't seek the balm of psychic escape” (Readinggroupguides.com n.p.). The Ozark people struggle physically and psychologically, and this results in Woodrell’s sympathetic depiction of his characters using drugs as a means of escape. Marijuana and methamphetamine are among the most commonly used substances.  J R. Jones, a writer for the Chicago Reader, wonders “…stuck in a place like this, who wouldn't want to get high?” (Jones n.p.). Crank is especially significant because it implies a modern setting.  However, if illegal moonshine were substituted, the novel could as easily been set in the 1920’s (Jones n.p.). Woodrell appeals for understanding because he has himself struggled with drug-use in the face of trying circumstance. While fighting in the Vietnam War, Woodrell exercised escapism by spending the majority of his time tripping on acid and smoking hash (Westhoff n.p.). Many of Woodrell’s ancestors died walking the same path. As Woodrell and Westhoff walk from tombstone to tombstone in a graveyard, he cites the causes for the demise of each family member: "Alcoholic. Alcoholic. Alcoholic. Alcoholic" (Westhoff n.p.).  He reiterates the trying circumstances of life in the Ozarks that underlie its people’s attempts to cope with drugs that help to soften the harshness of their lives.

The mixture of good and evil qualities, as seen in the traditions of the Ozarks’ clans, represents the complex psychological issues of these people. As Woodrell describes these traditions, the reader experiences a fuller perspective and awareness of the workings of this particular society. Jones summarizes with, “Believe it or not, there are still places in the U.S. that are isolated, inbred, and insular, where poverty and tradition keep people rooted to the land and bound to each other (n.p.). Tradition is important in preserving culture. It contains a mixture of positive and negative qualities. Uncle Teardop states, “The Dollys around here can’t be seen to coddle a snitch’s family” (Woodrell 150). While morally justified as a means of deterring crime in society, snitching in this community is traditionally unacceptable. According to the clan’s tradition anyone who snitches must be eliminated, and Ree’s father is no exception. Another tradition in the Ozarks is the offering of drugs as a courtesy to one’s guests (Jones n.p.). This results in enhanced intimacy but ultimately leads to downward spirals of dysfunction. Woodrell experienced near-poverty most of his life and understands how important tradition is in binding a poor community together (Westhoff n.p.). He portrays traditions in the Ozarks to shed light on his characters’ full range of psychology, thus drawing the reader into a deeper experience of their inherent humanity (Tibbetts n.p.).

Woodrell represents obscure loyalty in the Ozarks community to draw empathy from the audience. Violence is common and folks will not hesitate to use it protecting their family, reputation and belongings. Ree’s brother, Harold, shows his family loyalty after Ree is beaten by the Miltons: “There’s two Miltons from over towards Hawkfall in my grade—want I should fight the both of ’em? …I’m friends with one, but I’ll still fight him anyhow if you say” (Woodrell 152). Vigilantism is a general means of enacting justice. The community is loyal to its own interpretation of law and, if necessary, will combat beurocratic law enforcement. In fact, most hold a natural distaste for anyone wearing a badge (Westhoff n.p.). At the end of the story, Ree receives a large sum of money and may finally leave to pursue a career in the army. However, she forgoes the opportunity, in loyalty to her family, and opts to continue caring for them. She tells her brothers, “I’d get lost without the weight of you two on my back” (Woodrell 193). Loyalty is an admirable trait; it offsets negative qualities contributing to complex characters.

Woodrell effectively pieces together his intentions for Winter’s Bone with a meaningful statement: "The American concept of things is that you're always striving upwards. What they're not getting is that there are a lot of people from the underclass who don't want to be middle class. They don't want anything to do with it" (Westhoff n.p.). The Ozark underclass is satisfied with their way of life. Woodrell appeals for empathy by developing complex characters that have a multitude of positive values intertwined with the negative. Consequently, stereotypes about their community are challenged or eliminated. It is easy to put labels on individuals rather than search for their complex essences.  The same community, prone to addiction and violence, holds value in family, loyalty, self-reliance, redemption, and tradition. Winter’s Bone compels the world to have a second look and perhaps reevaluate their unexamined presumptions.

Work Cited

J R., Jones. "Family Values in Meth Country." Chicago Reader [Chicago] 17 June 2010, 28. Web. 9 Mar. 2012.

"Readinggroupguides.com - Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell.”. Little, Brown and Company, 2012. Web. 10 Mar 2012. <http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_W/winters_bone2.asp>.

Tibbetts, John C. ""RIDDLES ACROSS THE SKY": DANIEL WOODRELL TALKS ABOUT WINTER'S BONE." Literature/Film Quarterly39.1 (2011): 30-39. Literature Online. Web. 9 Mar 2012.

Westhoff, Ben. "Hillbilly Noir." Riverfront Times [St. Louis] 6 December 2006, N_A. Web. 9 Mar. 2012.

Woodrell, Daniel. Winter's Bone. New York: Back Bay Books, 2006. Print.