To MichelleS:

Don't act surprised. You had to know that I would respond to being called ignorant.

"Over the last week my perspective of Bastard Out Of Carolina has changed. Last week I would have said that I didn't like this book, but now I can honestly say that I do. I find it interesting that many people are focusing on Anney and her actions (or lack there of). I don't want to add to the fire and I realize that there is probably no way to change John's somewhat ignorant perspective so I will not try, but I would like to but in my two cents (sorry John, but that's the way I feel about it)."

Oh right. You don't want to add to the fire but you call me ignorant anyway. Yeah sure. You know, there are other ways to tell a person that you don't agree with them and still manage to not add to a fire without insulting somone.

"I agree with Meredith, "I am not trying to say what she did was right, nor am I saying that what she did was justified. But I really don't think it's fair to simply look at the fact that she didn't leave Daddy Glen and decide she is a horrible person." I know that John said that it would be different if Anney had been raised abused or if Daddy Glen had abused Anney herself instead of just Bone, but this is not the case at all. Sometimes fear wins out for no logical reason. I think that Anney was afraid to confront Glen because she was certain that he would begin to hurt her as well."

Interesting, except there is no evidence of this. Glen never hit Reese, and he begged like a little child when Anney threatened to leave him. The only way you really can argue this would be to say that Anney had an illogical fear of abuse. To argue however that, in Anney's mind, she was certain that Glen would take abuse on her seems unlikely. Throughout the book it is made much more obvious that Anney feels that she needs Glen. Anney even admits that she needs Glen "like a strong woman needs meat between her teeth". There is more evidence to suggest that Anney just wanted her life to be easier with Glen (and consequently turned her back on her daughter in the hopes that the abuse would stop) and stayed with him for that reason than to suggest that it was motivated by fear.

"Fear blinds us. Anney was placed in a situation that there was no clear way out of."

She could have looked for support from her family. She could have called the cops on Glen's sorry ass. She could have even told the doctor the truth about why Bone's tailbone was broken! In that instance at the hospitale, she even went out of her way to cover up for Glen!

"For her, in her circumstances she chose to sit by and deny anything was going on. Many people go into denial when something horrible happens. In addition, I think that we must realize that while we are lucky to have never been put in a situation like this we are also not warranted to judge the actions of others in this situation. <sigh>"

Sure we are. It is a book. Any author who puts certain characters inside a story that they expect other people to read it inviting the readers to discuss, debate and even judge the actions of the characters.

"That's all for me for today... :)"

P.S. Don't call me ignorant when you don't understand the half of me. It is not polite and it doesn't prove a thing about your argument.