Blanche and Stanley

In A Streetcar Named Desire, the tension and hostility between Blanche and Stanley increases, making both of their lives difficult. I believe this animosity between the two is due to they are alike in some ways while simultaneously be completely different. For example, both like to take control of situations. In Stanley's case that is always reminding Stella that whatever belongs to her belongs to him (under the Napoleonic Code) and must be in control of the house itself. Blanche's control is implied via Stella again. When Blanche finally arrives to New Orleans, Stella asks Stanley to change the way he talks and acts when he must interact with Blanche. This insinuates that has some sort of control over Stella to make Stella dote on her and watch what comes out of her mouth. Both character use this controlling aspect of their personalities to get what they want. Stanley some how manages to get Stella back after he hit her and Blanche made out with the paperboy. Also both are misogynist in a way. Stanley has this rigid idea of what women can and can't do while blanche uphold this very old Southern idea of a Southern lady being fragile and weak.

But their differences drive them even further apart. Stanley is the type of person to get straight to the point while Blanche will talk around the question for ages.  Stanley's bluntness also contrasts greatly with Blanche's web of lies. Blanche notes that she is a liar and Stanley likes to point that out sometimes.The more I think about Blanche and Stanley the more I realize that these characters can not get along because they are too much alike

Blanche and Stanley

To start off from the get go, Blanche has defied every boundary Stanley has worked to put up. Blanche hinks she is well above Stanley, and has repeatedly attempted to "knock him down" in a sense back to his place in society. She shows up uninvited, messes with his friends, and most noticeably is a "bad influence" on his wife, Stella. Stanley from the beginning has never had any positive feelings towards Blanche, and the scene of Stanley finally losing his cool and displaying an "animalistic" character lashing out at Stella burned those negative feelings towards Blanche even deeper. To him, this is Blanche's fault all this is happening because she doesn't know or follow the established rules.

Stanley Vs. Blanche. Will Blount

Stanley and Stella have a steady, violent, yet passionate relationship in the beginning of the play.  The problems began to occur when Blanche, Stella's sister, rides in on a streetcar.  This character is a snobby, lying, lofty woman who has just lost the family's plantation known as Belle Reve.  Even the name Belle Reve means Beautiful Dream.  This shady, unreliable, materialistic woman obviously presents conflict with the kind of man Stanley is.  Stanley is a controlling, aggressive, and passionate man.  Stanley has always been in control of the house and Stella.  Blanche coming into the picture with her expensive jewelry and fur coats causes Stanley to question Blanche's reliability.  He wonders what actually happened to Belle Reve and how she managed to obtain such nice items.  He states, "well what in the hell was it then? give away? to charity?".  Stanley is angered by not knowing what Blanche did an feels cheated.  He continues to question about the Napoleonic Code and the lack of answers infuriates him.  The fight between the two eventually becomes over Stella.  Stella overcomes Blanche's lunacy and sticks with Stanley and the baby.      

Street car named Desire

From the very beginning of the play readers are given an image of Blanche which is very aristocratic. She is portrayed as someone who was raised very wealthy. We also come to find out that her money is old and nearly. Although she is no longer the affluential tycoon of her former days, she would still like to pretend that she is of another class than everyone around. I tis almost as if she thinks that she is better than everyone. 

Blanch cannot believe the way her sister lives in New Orleans. She expects Stella to be living with the upper class, not in town with the commoners. As they are sisters, they both have come accustomed to a certain way of living which neither of them can support any longer. Although neither can live among the higher class any longer, Blanche choses to believe that this is not so.

This might be a sad state of affairs, but one thing that they can both can agree on is that Stanly is not the the type of man that they were raised to marry. Stanley is a blue-collard hard working man, not trained in the ways of aristocracy as one might imagine. 

Something Stanley and Blanche have in common is their love for Stella. They both want the best for her which erupt in their emotions as well. They also strive for Stella to notice them with obscene gestures of love. Stanley and Blanch both want to be the center of attention in many ways. This makes it extremely hard to balance their personalities in a given scene. 

Blanche and Mitch

Does it strike anyone else that Blanche and Mitch's relationship are moving a little fast? They have only spoken three times so far in the book and now Mitch is wondering if they could be good for each other and get married before his mother dies (he didn't directly say this, but insinuates it). I know Blanche is in a hurry to lock down a husband, but its borderline church bells. Also the story of Blanche's first husband is shocking. I'm not quite sure if I believe her or not. Considering the fact that she compulsively lies and can never give a straight answer, the story doesn't seem real. It defiantly could be made up; something along the lines of "my husband left me for a younger women" seems more plausible. It also would explain her insecurity about her age.

Stanley Vs. Blanche in the film

The juxtaposing views of both Stanley and Blanche in the play are rather interesting. From the moment the reader is introduced to Blanche we see her very old fashioned, classic and pompous attitude.  Blanche is from a plantation called Belle Reve. I think that her being raised on a planation is wildly significant. Plantations, in my opinion, signify classism, race, slavery and many other antiquated views. For someone who has lived in this setting her whole life her reaction to both New Orleans way of life and its inhabitants is to be expected.

When Blanche first arrives in New Orleans she is shocked by the state in which she finds Stella living. Seeing how they both were raised at Belle Reve it is interesting that Stella has fallen in love with Stanley, who is more of a blue collar more lackadaisical kind of man. Stanley, who is polish, is physically opposite of Blanche. He is a working-man and by Blanche’s standards, unrefined.

In the film the visuals of Blanche vs. Stanley is very dramatically opposed. In the scene where the two meet for the first time Blanche is dressed in light, lacy, white garments. She is very clearly in expensive clothing. Stanley on the other comes in in a very tight fitting t-shirt, and what appear to be work slacks. His shirt is stained in sweat. For first impressions Stanley is off to a rocky start.

One way in which the two are similar, however is their common love for Stella, and they both have headstrong personalities. For this reason we find them constanly competing for Stella’s attention.  We also find them at odds because of their strong personalities banging heads.

Complicated Relationships

Stanley Kowalski has a complicated relationship between Stella Kowalski. They are both married but, it seems that a lustful romance is the only thing that's holding these two together. They are dependent on each to move forward and live on. Without the other they don't know how to process the  world. Tennessee Williams has shown a classic example of love gone sour. These circumstances aren't rare to see with alot of couples. Once you get dependent on someone's company, it's hard to see a life without the other person no matter how hallow the relationships has become. For Stella and Stanely, the concept of love is the only way to achieve happiness and accomplishment in life. They almost become accessories to one another rather then partners. The selfish actions have become void and abusive. Leading to a circle that will continue until the day they die. I wouldn't call Stanley a righteous husband, I personally believe his character represents the stereotypes and terrible characteristics of the male gender. The alpha role is such a tired idea that women are starting to become more independent and free thinking because of that. Stella and Blanche are dependent on the company of men. Some people just need that satisfaction in life to feel fulfilled. My personal opinion on the subject is that you have to find satisfaction in your self. It isn't healthy to look for self worth in other people. You will never get it or see it if you look for a person to complete you. Two people have to be able and willing to compromise. Unfortunately, Stella and Stanely happen to show agreement that is empty and lacks empathy. I can't honestly say if this relationship will last but, they both have to coordinate with the choices they made. Especially when you factor in a child. How knows? A adventure of childhood could be the thing that heals the characters of Stella and Stanely.

Blanche and Stanley

In "A Streetcar Named Desire", two main characters, Stanley and Blanche, blatantly have problems with each other. Stanley (Stella's husband) demonstrates the primitive, and masculine character that is enticing to Stella, and on many levels seen as a rival to Blanche, Stella's sister.  Blanche is much more less realistic than him, and lives in another world which eventually contribute to the downfall of her. Problems first arise when Blanche arrives at the Kowalski household, and Stanley's power is questioned. He always had complete control of the household and as well as Stella. Once Blanche arrives, he feels like his home is being taken over and does not agree with it. One of the main themes between the two and throughout the story is the battle of them both to win over Stella, and neither will forfeit.

Animosity between Blanche and Stanley

 BLOG 5: What are the sources of animosity between Blanche and Stanley?      
       
       There are many sources of animosity in the play between Blanche and Stanley. One of those sources would be Blanche's attitude towards Stanley. He overhears Blanche talk negatively about him. He also initially believes she is lying to him about how Belle Reve was lost. Stanley also doesn't like how Blanche attempts to be in control while Stella is fine with obeying her husband. He is also blaming the problems of his marriage on Blanche's arrival.
       Stanley knows how Blanche feels about him. While Stanley was out, Blanch tells Stella how she really feels about her husband. She said that he acts like an animal as well as talks like one. She also revealed that his friends, like him, were grunting like Stanley and compared them to a party of apes during their poker night. Stanley hears all Blanche has to say about him. During one scene, she also calls him a pollack to which he immediately retaliates and disagrees.
       Stanley has initial feelings about Blanche that he keeps during the play. He interrogates her about Belle Reve and what really happened to the property. She tries to tell him and show him proof but he blatantly ignores her. Stanley snatches the love letters from her late husband after she told him what they contained. He very soon finds out the property was lost on a mortgage.
          Blanche has a more controlling attitude than Stella and Stanley blames her for his marriage problems. During poker night, Blanche turns on the radio twice after Stanley warned her not to. Stanley charges after Stella but she still comes back to him despite her sister's warning.  It's these moments of intervention that cause him to blame Blanche for his marriage problems. At the end of scene 8, Stanley tells his wife that they were fine before her sister showed up and that is why he's trying to expose her lies.

Blanche and Stanley

The biggest source of animosity between Blanche and Stanley is their ideology. We have talked during class about how Blanche tries to stay mysterious while Stanley likes to lay everything on the table. Stanley is a blue collar pollack, Blanche is an old south princess from the plantations.  I think the biggest difference within their ideology is their idea on sex and love.

When we think of the animosity between Blanche and Stanley we think of Stanley reacting to Blanche poorly. To understand the topic of love it is better to look at how Blanche reacts to their relationships around her. The dramatic relationships between Stanley and Blanche, Eunice and Steve.

Looking back on the big fight from scene four Blanche could not believe Stella went back to Stanley. Stella and Stanley hold themselves above Blanche because they seem to have a more balanced mind. However Stella and Stanley are just as dramatic as Blanche when it comes to love.  The anger and passion that drives this relationships shocks Blanche. Meanwhile Eunice and Steve upstairs fight just as much, and just as violent. They fight, they cry, they make up, and they make up. Repeat.

Blanche see's marriage as a deal into a better life. That is why Blanche resents Stella and Stanley, because Stella is choosing passion over a mansion. Blanche believes love is restricted to letters and imagination. Passion is for dreams.  The life of wealth and lass is more important to Blanche.

All these factors dig deeper to where Blanche and Stanley are from. That they are two differently driven people and that's what causes them to clash.

Blanche vs. Stanley

Blanche and Stanley are from two different worlds. Because of this there are many causes of animosity between Blanche and Stanley.  Blanche comes from the old South and was raised as a southern lady. Stanley comes from a Polish background and was an master sergeant in the Engineers' Corps. During the first few days of her stay in New Orleans, Blanche has become a nuisance to Stanley in their  little apartment. Stanley dislikes her because she interferes with his life with Stella, and Blanche dislikes him because he is a threat to her and her sister.  Blanche tries to weaken the relationship between Stella and Stanley by making Stella see that Stanley does not belong with them because of their upbringing. Blanche does not understand why Stella is married to Stanley because he thinks that money, objects, and status come before love. Both Blanche and Stanley have major flaws. Blanche has a habit of lying and manipulating the truth. Stanley is aggressive, violent and has a habit of controlling what Stella can do.

            While reading I have been thinking about some of Blanche’s habits. I also have been thinking about how the ideal southern lady performs gender. Blanche is constantly lying throughout the first scenes. She seems to be very sexual but says she is a woman who is not “easy.” She also lies about the amount she drinks. From my previous knowledge these are habits that are not accepted for a southern lady. I assume she is lying to protect her reputation.

Hostility between Blanche and Stanley

From very early on in the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, the relationship between Stanley and Blanche has had noticeably strong hostility. Although there is no doubt that the two strongly dislike each other, the source of their disdain for each other is different. In other words, the reason for Stanley hostility towards Blanche is not the same as Blanche’s hostility towards Stanley. Stanley does not like Blanche because she is beginning to interfere with his and Stella’s relationship. Stanley knows that Blanche does not like him and is trying to turn Stella against him. He figures this out when he over hears Stella and Blanche talking in private and Blanche makes many negative remarks about Stanley. On the other hand, Blanche does not like Stanley because she thinks he is of a lower class or status than her and Stella. Blanche thinks he is beastly or animalistic, while her and Stella are proper “princesses.” Blanche does not understand why Stella remains with Stanley, because of this, and constantly tries to get her to leave him. Hostility between these two extremely flawed characters will only advance as each character starts to feel the immense pressure of the walls of their small apartment start to close in.    

Salvage the Bones

Didn't want to post before class just to see what other thoughts could maybe contribute to some of the things I saw through the book. The scene of Esch finally making Manny look at her was one of my  favorite parts. She was radiating with this feminine power at that point. She had finally "won" by Manny having to look at her and have some accountability of his actions. He couldn't run away at that point. Watching Esch develop her mindset over the course of the book was interesting. She seemed so fragile as it started, and I felt like at the end she was stronger than ever. Katrina, even though it destroyed everything, still gave me a sense that everything was actually better than it was beforehand. Really enjoyed this book even though every single bad turn that could have happened, did happen.

The allure of the Southern Gothic

I always find myself somewhat mystified by southern gothic novels. The first one I was lucky enough to read was They Tell Me of A Home by Daniel Black. I feel as if this genre of literature resonates with me as a southerner (you've probably heard me say this in class before) because of the characters, their plight, their development, the setting and other components of the literature. With Salvage the Bones, I found myself reading Esch's childhood and also flashing back to my own during the months before Katrina. I felt like Manny in the first chapter, young, so sure that the hurricane would just be another one of the meteorologists failed prediction. Both Manny and I shared the same security about our homes being there after the turmoil. I believe it was our youthfulness that blinded both him and I to how severe this really was. I saw my father in Esch's father, boarding up the windows, being somewhat distant because of concerns for preparation for Katrina. Rarely do I ever have connections with characters like this, it could be the fact that both the characters and I experienced Katrina. However, I do believe that the experience alone is what connected me to these characters, it comes back to the Gothic style of writing this book uses. It writes about these under represented cast of characters that aren't seen in literature often and through a lens not often explored. It does so in a way that makes a fictitious story come alive to the reader in an authentic way. Overall, I loved the book and might have to somehow get this copy autographed.

Will Blount Salvage the Bones themes

From the beginning of the book, one can see the toughness and grit behind the Batiste family.  I have gathered a lot of what it means to be a man in this book.  One can be a completely selfish and ignorant person like Manny, who impregnated, abandoned, and insulted Esch.  Manny even thinks of women as weak.  Even the father thought Hurricane Katrina would be the worst because it's a woman.  On the other hand, you have Skeetah, who fought as hard as he could to save his dog and puppies whom he loved so much.  He even let China, his favorite thing in the world, go to save his sister and help his family.  Skeetah finds that motherhood and being a woman can make one strong.  Despite their father's crippling alcoholism, the father attempted and tired to prepare for the storm and save the family.  Big Henry is a very good man.  After helping the family, he tells Esch that her baby has plenty of daddies there for it, including him.  Esch is particularly strong as a young woman.  She finds strength in how strong China is and even refers to her as her sister in a way. Esch grew up with almost no females in her life to base her actions upon.  She finds strength in what she doesn't have in her life.  The discomfort of the storm and her pregnancy truly helped Esch become a strong young woman who can survive anything.

Esch's Pregnancy

The question on everyone's mind is, “when will Esch share that she is pregnant,” and “ how will it all turn out?”

One of biggest challenges Esch faces in this novel is the fact that she is pregnant. Almost all of the characters in the novel have some kind of suspicion that Esch might be pregnant but chose not to talk about it. It almost seems like an easier solution to pretend that she isn't pregnant. Although this solution might be easiest for the other characters in the novel, this is a real situation Esch deals with everyday. She is unable to bottle up her feelings and emotions in the form of denial any longer when in chapter 10 she decides to tell Manny that she is pregnant with his child. She almost does this by accident as her decision to open up to Manny is definitely in the spur of the moment. As he is walking away, she decides to stop him in his tracks by telling him “I'm pregnant.”  She probably hopes this will change their relationship. That he will lover her for the child, that it will keep him around instead of him leaving, this is Esch’s last ditch effort to make him Manny love her. Manny asks Esch “How can you say that it is mine when you fuck everyone in the pit?”(204) This is how Manny denies that the child is his. He is convinced that Esch is a slut and that the child is anyone else but his. He probably doesn't want to take responsibility for the child, as we discussed, Manny wants sex without consequences. Above all, I believe he doesn't want to have to spend anymore time with Esch than he has too. If he continues to deny that the child is his, maybe, just maybe he wont have to claim it as his own. 

Im sure all of the readers wish this was a longer novel to find out more about Esch and her baby as well as what her relationship with Manny might come to be. Without more to read, it is almost an unsettling resolution. 

The Murderous Mother

Motherhood and death are key concepts in Salvage the Bones. In many instances throughout novel, motherhood led to death. The protagonist, Esch, has to deal with motherhood and death many times. She witnesses the death of her mother and grandmother, watches China give birth to her first litter and kill one of her puppies, and then discovers that she herself is becoming a mother to her own child. Motherhood is shown as a complex and even violent role. Esch frequently brings up the mythological character Medea, who kills her own children, and endures the violence of Hurricane Katrina. Esch has very extreme examples of what it means to be a mother. On one hand, her mother and grandmother are dead. The other maternal figures that she knows—Medea, China, and even Katrina—murder their own children. It seems like Esch has two choices: kill or be killed by this child in her belly.

This catch-22 manifests itself in Esch’s denial and avoidance of her pregnancy especially with all the other issues she has to deal with. As the only girl in a family of men, Esch has no one to show her what else motherhood could be. She was also living in a poor and “wild” setting in rural Mississippi. Her child’s father, Manny, is very manipulative and doesn’t treat her very well. She is ignored a lot as everyone else has their own things to deal with. Esch is also not particularly nice to herself. She feels like she has few good qualities including her hair and her physicality—whether it’s sex, swimming, or running. As Esch experiences more throughout the book her idea of what motherhood begins to shift. When she has come to accept her pregnancy and see her child’s father for who he really is she begins to become stronger and sees the strength in motherhood as not only a murderous quality.

Being a mother is incredibly hard and sometimes the consequence is death. But the strength that comes from survival is also an important result of motherhood. In the aftermath of Katrina, Esch, finds that are many more dynamics of mothering. Randall holding on to Junior and comforting him throughout the storm and Big Henry’s mother helping her Dad are also what a mother can be. In the end it seems as though Esch furthers herself from Medea and begins to form her own definition of what it means to be a mother.

Gender Roles and other things...

Reading this book was a very strange experience for me. Firstly the extreme detail in which Ward uses to communicate to the reader was so unsettling but somehow it made me want to keep reading. Secondly I could relate to Esch's character quite a bit. My circumstances growing up were nowhere near as dire and difficult as Esch's. I was raised with a mom, dad and a little sister. That being said there should be zero excuses for faults in "acting like a proper woman”. I think its important to realize that most woman go through the same thoughts and feelings that Esch did. Growing up I was always a daddy's girl. Only participating in only sports I lived to impress my dad. I was the boy he never had.  Once I got to high school, however things changed, as most things do. Just like Esch I had self-image issues. Even with the strong support system, it didn't matter. The quote that resonates the most with me throughout the whole novel is... “And it was easier to let him keep on touching me than ask him to stop, easier to let him inside than to push him away, easier than hearing him ask me, "Why not?" It was easier to keep quiet and take it than to give him an answer.” This quote and the ones similar where Esch feels like her voice, wants, and feelings do not matter are so prominent in the hearts of so many young women. This can be attributed to the double standards put on women not only in the south, but also in all of society. If men sleep around and have sex with multiple women it's applauded, while women are called sluts. The same way women who become attached after sex are seen as crazy or possessive, and women who say "no" are seen as prude or a tease. Esch is stuck somewhere in the middle, as are several young women her age. It is important to see her growth by the end of novel. Esch must take responsibility for her actions (the casual sex), as well as help her family prepare for the hurricane. By the end to the novel she has come to terms with the fact that she will be a mother and she is slightly less intimidated by it because she has acknowledge that she has to take care of her family during this trying time. Esch closes with "She will know I am a mother." This quote is in reference to China, but I also think it is for herself, her mother, and her audience. A final acceptance of who she has become and who she must be in the future… For her family, for her child, and most importantly for herself. 

Finishing Salvage the Bones//Survival

Throughout the ten days leading up to Katrina readers begin to grasp the survival skills of the Batistes. The last two chapters, as Katrina hits landfall we see how their love for one another push them to survive the storm.

In the beginning of Salvage the Bones Esch discovered she is pregnant with Manny's child. Throughout the novel readers wait for Esch to face her family, Manny and even herself with this truth. On the tenth day Esch finally confronts Manny with her pregnancy and leaves readers heart broken. Manny calls Esch a slut and refuses to believe the baby is his. As Manny runs off Esch falls to the ground in sorrow facing the cold truth that Manny has not and will never love her. A love that Esch has dreamed and fought for throughout the novel. Randall finds Esch on his last quest to find supplies before the storm. Skeetah is taking are of China leaving Esch as Randall's only spare hand to help the rest of the family. In this moment we see the depth of Esch's strength, After losing her mother, discovering she is a mother herself, and losing the fight for Manny's love she puts her family first. Esch rises from her puddle of sorrow thinking, "I scrub, wipe like I could wipe the love of Manny, the hate of Manny, Manny away. And then I get up because it is the only thing I can do."(p.206). A large snap of Esch's character is shown.

Every meal readers get a glimpse of the Bastiste's financial state. One single dad providing for four children in basically the woods is barely surviving. The Basistes show their love for one another in a series of different ways but definitely throughout the survival. When the storm hits and the water continues to rise readers see the true survival skills of Esch's family.

Throughout the novel we are watching China come between Skeetah and the rest of his family. Skeetah fought for China and the puppies to stay in the house for the storm. After the water rises and the family is swimming from  tree to tree Esch loses the puppies. Skeetah chooses saving Junior, Esch and her child over carrying China. This sacrifice not only highlights the love of this family but the need of survival during Katrina. 

Esch's Coming of Age

In Salvage the Bones, Esch's position as the narrator places her perfectly for us to understand her and  her growth through the novel as the most important theme. We see her from the beginning struggling with the notion of womanhood an femininity in a world with no real female role model. This starting point is pivotal to understanding where she is left at the end, having learned a lesson through trial and error rather than through the advice of more wise women who might know better. Because she was never taught the things a mother teaches her daughter, like how to compose yourself around boys who might do what these boys did to Esch, (using her for sex) she is left at the end with one of these very same disrespectful boys continuing to disrespect her. Ignoring how titular and heart breaking this epiphany proved to be, this is a lesson she needed to learn; that people are not always the way you want them to be, that people you love will hurt you, and that giving someone all your love does not ensure that they will return it.

Choice of discussion: Katrina

After reading Salvage the Bones, I was left with this unnerving feeling of desolation for Esch and Batiste family. There was no way they could have prepared for the events that would unfold. Hurricane Katrina was a symbolic harbinger of destruction that left millions homeless and helpless. At the same note, the beauty of the formation was iconic. Katrina was a category five hurricane that topped record charts like a european exotic model. A Hurricane of class and a true work of natural art. She exhibits the unrelenting power and majesty of mother nature. Katrina is both a creator and a destroyer. The feminine imagery doesn't stop there. The symbolic link between motherhood runs throughout the subtext of the play. Being a mother takes sacrifice. It's damaging physically and mentally on a women, let alone someone who is as young as Esch. On the same note, it's one of the most awarding experiences in life. Hurricane Katrina is the symbolic incarnation of motherhood and a mirror to the inner nature of Esch's psychology towards her struggle through pregnancy. One can say the same chase for China. Being a mother isn't all pretty, but the reality of the situation is simple. You can prepare all you want for having a child. The process of child bearing can be unpredictable at times, it doesn't matter. The birth can arise from out of nowhere. Action is the only cure through childbirth. After that it's a whole new ball game, reconstruction. Building a family and making sure that child is feed. The problems with Katrina lasted for years. Motherhood doesn't stop at delivery. Esch's job has only began. Hopefully throughout all the destruction left in the wake of Katrina, the Batiste family will find a way. Just like they have for hundreds of years before. To salvage a new life, a fresh beginning, after she took it away from them.

Thoughts about Salvage the Bones

      One of the most interesting aspects of the books to me was how Esch adapted to the world around her. Since she had lost both of her parents, she started to look at Skeetah's dog China for guidance. This starts early on in the novel and when she decides to steal a pregnancy test from the store. Esch says that, "maybe its China that made me get it (Ward 30)." She had been throwing up every day and had become irregular. During an interaction with Manny, Esch remembers something Skeetah said to China. During a dog fight, he told her to make them know. Esch emulated this with Manny after telling him she was pregnant. She started repeatedly slapping him to the point that he bled all while thinking," make them know (Ward 203)". In the final chapter of the book, Esch makes more connections between herself and China. She states that China will come back and know that she is a mother. Because of the fight Esch endured, China will return and call her sister.

     Another part of the book that really stuck out to me was one of Big Henry's quotes. He had just found out Esch was pregnant and asked her who the father was. She replied back that the child did not have one. I'm not sure why she said this but his response was one of the greatest in the book to me. Big Henry replied that the "baby has plenty daddies (Ward 255)." Though Esch may be in a hard situation, she will have plenty of support from her family and friends. If Manny would be absent in the child's life, there would be plenty of guys who can step up and take his place in Esch's life. 

Esch's development and Katrina Connections

Throughout Salvage the Bones we watch Esch take steps to becoming a woman and coming to accept that she is a mother.  At the beginning of the book Esch is taken advantage of by her family and her brother’s friends. She slowly realizes that she is important and should not be over looked. A big development in this idea is when she forces many to look at her when they are having sex. “He will look at me,” Esch thinks, when she finally gets Manny to look at her she believes that he truly sees her (145-146). Throughout the book Esch went through a lot of changes and experiences that will help prepare her for both womanhood and motherhood. She also finds she should not be over looked.

Katrina can be seen as both a destructive and cleansing force.  Katrina can also be seen as a feminine power. You can see the way the male characters think of women through the way they address Katrina. Motherhood was an important theme in the book and while reading I made the connection between motherhood and Katrina.  Katrina can be seen as a mother-like character because it is part of Mother Nature. The Batiste family was nowhere near ready for Katrina even with how hard their father had tried to prepare. I believe that a connection between this and Katrina can be used to show you are never truly ready for motherhood no matter how much you try.