What did you think of the family dynamics in this novella? The mother died giving birth to Frankie, and the father is hardly present. The family unit is really Frankie, Berenice Sadie Brown and 6-year-old John Henry — a powerful trio!
I loved Berenice. I thought her character was really the soul of the novel, and part of her appeal for me was how she related to the children,taking care of them and telling them stories and giving advice as if they were all the same age. Do you think the author saw her as essentially childlike or as an especially wise adult?
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Berenice was awesome. One of my favorite quotes is near the end when Frankie tells Berenice of Luxembourg and asks, "Don't you think that's a lovely name?"
ReplyDelete"Berenice roused herself. 'Well, Baby - it brings to my mind soapy water.' " Love it!
Great question, kc. I thought she was portrayed as childlike, but having the profound wisdom that can be found in childhood (if that makes sense?).
Sometimes children grasp adult concepts such as jealousy, pain, injustice, etc., but relate them to their own level.
Again, I think of Scout talking about "killing a mockingbird."
Loved Berenice and loved the three of them together. You're right, it was sort of like there were no adults there. It was touching how well she seemed to relate to the children and how much they loved her. (Loved that scene where Frankie was sitting on her lap.)
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's a great quote. Berenice had a lot of great lines. I loved how she'd tell the kids the same stories about her love life over and over, and the kids would ask questions like they'd never heard the stories before! And I love how they all worshiped her first husband and how he was held up as an ideal love.
ReplyDeleteAnd I see what you're saying about kids having that wisdom. It's like how Frankie had a sense of how black people were kept down and suggested to that young man that he should move to Cuba where the color of his skin wouldn't matter. It's such a kid solution: eminently sensible and terribly unrealistic at the same time.
That lap scene was fantastic, Erin. And the whole ordeal of Berenice helping her with her dress.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love how they all liked to eat and would stretch their meals out!