Bastard Out of Carolina | Overview of Bastard Out of Carolina

In the following essay, Rena Korb discusses Bone's self-perception and how sexual abuse shapes her character.

Dorothy Allison's powerful first novel, Bastard Out of Carolina, drew enthusiastic response from readers and critics alike. Nominated for the National Book Award, the book and its success brought the author, previously known for her lesbian writing, into the mainstream. Bastard Out of Carolina, which depicts issues uncomfortable to some readers, such as the sexual molestation of children and pre-adolescents' violent masturbatory fantasies, has also had its share of controversy. When Angelica Houston faithfully reproduced Bone's story on film for a cable network, she...

[The entire page is 2478 words long]

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