In
Daniel Woodrell’s Winter’s Bone, drugs allow for the characters to
survive in their harsh, poor circumstances through making, selling, and using
them on a regular basis. On the other hand, drugs also lead characters to make
poor decisions and create much of the conflict that arises during the course of
the novel. In Rathlin Valley, drugs are the inevitable, inescapable constant.
Due to the harsh circumstances surrounding
the families that occupy Rathlin Valley, characters often turn to drugs as a
means to make life bearable. The most obvious example of this can be see after
Ree has been brutally beaten by the Milton women for asking questions about
Jessup’s questionable disappearance. Teardrop commands Gail to give Ree pain
killers to numb the intense pain she is feeling. Teardrop states, “’she’ll want
more, but just two to start with, then build from there to whatever number lets
her rest’” (145). These pain killers are certainly not prescribed to Ree, and
the family is basing how much to give her on her pain level alone. This is a
questionable choice, but Ree has no option because of the intense pain that she
feels. Another example of characters using drugs to make life bearable can be
seen after Gail and Ree smoke weed in order to escape the problems in their
life. After chasing Jessup’s car, Gail finally says, “’sweet pea, this ain’t
what we got stoned to do’” (98). Gail uses weed as a means to cope with the
fact that her husband is cheating on her with the true love of his life while she
is forced to take care of their child. Ree uses weed as a method to relax from the
incredible burden of having to care for her two little brothers at the mere age
of sixteen. In both of these instances, drugs are used as a way to escape
reality, a way to make their miserable lives just a little bit better.
Through much of the novel, drugs are a catalyst
for poor decisions, and they serve to create the central conflicts that the
novel deals with. After being confronted with losing her home to the bondsman,
Ree turns to her uncle to try to save her family from being homeless. Teardrop,
having woken up from a nap and having snorted crank, denies her this help
immediately. He says, “’I said shut up once already, with my mouth’” (25).
Teardrop, in his drug-induced state, threatens to physically harm his nephew, and
he believes that a good beating would serve her well. Ree escapes any harm from
Teardrop and turns to others in Rathlin Valley for answers about Jessup. Ree is
so dedicated to her brothers’ and mothers’ well-being because she is the sole
caretaker of her family. She has to be strong for them because she does not
want her brothers to become crank cooks, nor does she want them to get hurt
like she did. Ree was once raped, and Little Arthur used drugs to induce her
into a state of near paralysis. Woodrell writes, “he [Little Arthur] hugged her
to the ground and she’d felt a tremendous melting of herself…her skirt flipped
up and Little Arthur knelt to join in her puddling embrace of gods and wonder”
(54 -55). Little Arthur drugs Ree in order to rape her, and Ree is completely
powerless to stop it from happening. In fact, the drugs are so powerful that
she only remembers this happening because her panties are torn. Woodrell
illustrates just how destructive drugs can be in this novel.
Drugs, for better or for worse, are
a part of Rathlin Valley. They are so ingrained in the culture that it is nearly
impossible to escape them or the effects that they have on the way of life.
Characters try to make the best of life through the use of drugs, but this
often simply creates an inevitable path of destruction.
The inevitability of drugs throughout Daniel Woodrell’s Winter’s Bone also seems to be perpetuated by family members. Ree’s exposure to drugs is centralized around her family members and growing up around the drug industry. Ree’s mother relies on drugs to make it through each day whereas her uncle relies on drugs to provide an income. Although the two are reliant in different ways both of these adults central in Ree’s life depend on drugs. Her “[m]om’s morning pills turned her into a cat” (6), placing her in a vegetative state. Her drug-induced state required to ease her mind exerts excess stress upon Ree, as she has to become head of the house raising her brothers. This primary experience to the effect of drugs gives Ree an example of how they can be used to solve all problems. Ree’s next exposure to drugs is from her uncle. Teardrop is typically on crank and always has some with him making it a norm for him to offer it to his 16-year-old niece. He sees drugs as an escape from his pain and wants to share that with Ree throughout her struggles seen when “[h]e held the bag to Ree. ‘You got the taste for it yet?’” (113). To Teardrop drugs are a normal way to cope with problems and he is simply trying to aid Ree. This act of kindness simply perpetuates the spread of drug use throughout Winter’s Bone.
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your claim that drugs are an important part of Rathlin Valley. There are numerous examples of Ree, her mother, and her Uncle Teardrop behaving out of sorts amidst a drug-induced state. Due to the unfortunate circumstances such as poverty and lack of economic opportunity that surround Rathlin Valley, each character’s drug of choice is a coping mechanism. As Floyd mentions to Ree, “no one [in Rathlin Valley] wants to be awful” (37), implying that the locals have aspirations but lack the ability to achieve anything meaningful. Ree’s father runs the risk of hefty legal action and constant dangers such as explosions by cooking methamphetamine, yet he risked his life in order to support his family. Drugs certainly lead towards a devastating path, whether that be along the lines of Uncle Teardrop’s grotesque disfigurement (23) or Ree’s increasing dependence on marijuana and alcohol mixed with her potential future dependence on pain medication. Despite Ree’s own addictions, her demonstrated fortitude and determination while searching for her father enable readers to sympathize with her throughout Winter’s Bone. There are also other, more subtle instances throughout the novel that epitomize the devastation caused by drugs in the region, such as Ree’s Uncle Jack, “who’d lived through Khe Sanh and four marriages, then died at a roller-skating rink from something he snorted” (43). The drug culture has left its mark on every family in Rathlin Valley, and there are countless Rathlin Valley’s throughout America.