Steinbeck uses character relationships to create an impression of the characters so that the reader can begin to imagine what they are like. Curley’s wife is seen to be a lowly, devious woman by the majority in the farm that will do anything and hurt anyone to make herself feel better. As she is a woman, at the time she is seen as an inferior to the male workers. She is married to the bosses’ son, Curley, and their relationship is a poor one. We can see that Curley clearly treats her as a trophy wife as her name ‘Curley’s wife’ shows that she is practically his property and he owns her.
Reading this story from momma's point of view creates the feeling that the story is told from a genuine point of view with no biased feeling toward anyone, just the truth. Momma's point of view defines how she feels about her daughters and the level of separation that exist between the two daughters. Momma describes Maggie as a partially educated child who does not look as captivating as Dee. It’s because Maggie was burned in a house fire that left her burned all over her body and that’s the reason she doesn’t wear revealing clothes unlike Dee. Dee, on the other hand, is described as an educated young woman who is ready to take on any and every adventure.
“She thinks her sister held life always in the palm of her hand, and that “no” is a word the world never learned to say to her.”(Walker 423) Around Dee, Maggie is ashamed of the burns scars down her arms and legs, and walks funny ever since. Mama is aware of this and describes the posture she’s always in after the fire “That is the way my Maggie walks. She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, and feet in shuffle.”(Walker 424) While mama waits for Dee’s arrival, she dreams of a time where Dee can finally acknowledge her as a mom and that she can finally understand that she shaped her into the intelligent, beautiful woman that she is today. ”Then we are on the stage and Dee is embracing me with tears in her eyes.”(Walker 424) but she also states that Dee does not like the shape of her body “I am the way my daughter would want me to be: a hundred pounds lighter, my skin like an uncooked barley
Though the story is of first person perspective, seen through the eyes of “Mama”, the daughter Dee is seen as brash and pompous. There’s also Maggie, the youngest daughter. Burned on the arms and legs from a house fire, Maggie is “homely and ashamed” and “…not bright…,” envying Dee as having always “held life always in the palm of one hand”. With it being Mama’s point of view, the reader can have a skewed perspective, causing the reader to sympathize with Mama instead of her daughter Dee, who although has many character flaws, is genuine and sincere. From an objective point of view, both Mama and Dee are mindfully dismissing pieces of their heritage and are delusional to reality.
She dies of consumption and Jane is left alone with Helen dead in her arms. The importance of friendship is considered a significant element throughout this novel. Soon after Jane Eyre joined Lowood, she meets Helen Burns, She was the only person who was consistently nice to Jane. Ever since the first night when Helen provided Jane with food, Jane realized that Helen was a kind-hearted and decided therefore that Helen was her first and best friend. In contrast to Helen’s personality, Jane has the total opposite approach to life.
When Dee arrives for her visit, her mother says, "Even her feet were always neat-looking" (88). Besides their appearances, Maggie and Dee have unique personalities. When Maggie is first introduced in the story, she is nervous about her sister's visit. In fact, Dee's arrival makes Maggie so uncomfortable that she tries to flee to the safety of the house (88). Maggie is also intimidated by Dee, as shown when Maggie is unable to confront Dee about the quilts.
It is evident while reading the story, that Sister is an unreliable narrator. She seems to be envious of her younger sister Stella-Rondo. Sister tells the story only from her point of view, never allowing the reader into the thoughts and minds of other characters. It becomes clear as the conflict unfolds that Sister is one sided and believes her perspective is the only correct one. Sister wants the reader to had empathy for her.
O’Connor brilliantly uses the grandmother’s ignorance to set up this question. The grandmother is very set in her ways and is extremely narrow minded. She means well at times, but her ignorance fails her for the most part. We can see this ignorance in a statement the grandmother makes as she and her family are taking a road trip, “ In my time, said the grandmother, folding her thin veined fingers, children were more respectful of their native states and their parents and everything else. People did right then.
When the hard clay is swept clean as a floor and the fine sand around the edge lined with tiny, irregular grooves, anyone can come and sit and look up into the elm tree and wait for the breezes that never come inside the house. Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe. She thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of one hand, that “no” is a word the world never learned to say to her (p279). We find very early in the story that this a simple and humble family, by the way the narrator explains in detail the front yard. A significant detail is the way the narrator slightly describes the differences between her two daughters:” Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her
It’s not easy for Connie to live with her mother, who constantly harps on the way Connie looks and how she doesn’t live up to her sister reputation. “If Connie’s name was mentioned it was in a disapproving tone.”[453]. Every time Connie’s mother comments anything about June’s profile, it pushed Connie unconsciously to be nothing like her sister. Mother usually complained about her about habit of looking into a mirror. The narrator states the mother’s resentment of Connie’s beauty because “her looks were gone and that was why she was always after Connie.”[451].