Ellen Foster is a distinguished debut novel by Kaye Gibbons, crafted with sincerity, empathy, and wit. The narrative captures the poignant journey of an eleven-year-old orphan in her search for family and belonging. Set against the backdrop of the rural South, it masterfully blends the past with the present, revealing the resilience of the human spirit through Ellen's eyes.

The Journey of Ellen Foster

Ellen Foster's story unfolds in the rural South, the same landscape that shaped Gibbons herself. Through the eyes of Ellen, readers are immersed in the arduous quest for stability and love, following the traumatic loss of her biological family. Ellen’s saga moves fluidly between her current life with her "new mama" and the haunting memories of her tumultuous past. She endures the death of her afflicted and abused mother, the terror of her alcoholic father's abuse, the spite of her grandmother, and fleeting stints with her indifferent aunts.

Each chapter opens and closes with vignettes of her life in foster care, starkly contrasting the insecurity of her early years with the newfound warmth and safety she discovers. Gibbons navigates this narrative with such skill that what could have been morbid or sentimental becomes instead a story of resilience and the strength of the human will.

Ellen's Resilience and Growth

The novel begins with an arresting sentence that encapsulates the gravity of Ellen’s life: “When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy.” This startling opening thrusts the reader into Ellen’s harsh reality. Her voice, a blend of childlike sincerity and adult pragmatism, commands trust and secures the reader’s engagement in her fight for survival. Ellen’s contemplations of patricide emerge not from malice but as a necessary consideration in her struggle.

Comparisons with Huck Finn arise naturally, as both characters are resourceful youths navigating oppressive environments. Ellen's narrative, however, shows a profound appreciation for education and literature, with her eager anticipation of the library bookmobile and her early forays into Chaucer and the Brontës. Unlike Huck’s aversion to schooling, Ellen finds solace and potential in learning, indicating a crucial difference in their journeys.

Confronting Prejudice and Finding Friendship

Ellen’s life is marked by a conflict with the racial prejudices ingrained in her upbringing. Early on, during a visit to her black friend Starletta’s home, Ellen is repelled by the idea of sharing a drinking cup, reflecting the biases she has internalized. Yet, the generosity of Starletta's family—despite their poverty—introduces Ellen to unconditional kindness and shelter.

Her journey involves shedding these learned prejudices, aided by her own hardships and the compassion she witnesses. Through the goodness of Starletta and her family, and Mavis the farmhand, Ellen begins to reconcile her biases, recognizing Starletta’s profound impact on her own growth. By acknowledging Starletta’s significant journey alongside her own, Ellen ultimately sees beyond racial divides.

A Southern Tapestry

Ellen Foster is unmistakably Southern in its depth and detail, blending themes prevalent in Southern literature with a universal resonance. The novel burrows into familial and racial relationships, reflecting the lingering guilt and sin driven by racism among Southern whites. Gibbons grounds the story in everyday life, weaving a strong sense of place and cultural identity into Ellen's narrative.

Detailed observations—Ellen’s fixation on food, clothing, and money—mirror her emotional scarcities and acute awareness of class and racial disparities. Her descriptions range from her grandmother's opulent, antique-filled home to Starletta’s one-room house with its "fried meat" scent, offering a vivid portrayal of the South’s enduring inequalities.

The Power of Language and Grotesque Imagery

The authenticity of Gibbons’ language stands out, capturing Ellen’s youthful voice with a blend of honesty...

Great literature often employs distinctive narrative voices to explore complex themes like morality, race, and personal growth. Through the unique stylistic choices in novels such as Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, and Kaye Gibbons's Ellen Foster, readers are led on journeys of self-discovery, ethical dilemmas, and societal reflections. Each of these works uses narrative perspective and voice to engage readers, creating vivid depictions of the human experience amidst societal and personal turmoil.

Narrative Perspective and Voice

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain uses Huck's first-person voice to weave a tale of friendship and moral questioning in a world rife with hypocrisy. Huck, a young boy on the fringes of society, becomes the moral compass of the novel as he helps Jim, an escaped slave, travel toward freedom, challenging the societal norms that dictate his actions. Similarly, in As I Lay Dying, Faulkner's use of multiple first-person narratives paints a multifaceted picture of grief and duty through the voices of Anse Bundren and his children, who are tasked with transporting their deceased matriarch to her final resting place.

In contrast, Kaye Gibbons’s Ellen Foster adopts a singular first-person narration that offers readers a look into the mind of an eleven-year-old navigating the harsh realities of her life. Ellen is a perceptive child who, despite her youth, offers wise insights into her dysfunctional family. Her voice, marked by mismatched grammar and vocabulary, highlights the incongruity between her age and her wisdom, rendering her perspective both credible and endearing. "They never was the kind that would fit into a handy category," Ellen remarks, illustrating her nuanced understanding of her family's complexities.

The Southern Setting and Racial Undertones

Racial themes permeate both The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Ellen Foster, reflecting the societal norms of their respective periods. Twain's novel is set in a period when slavery was legal, and Huck's friendship with Jim forces him to confront the moral ambiguities of a racially divided society. Likewise, Ellen Foster, set in the post-Civil Rights South, tackles ingrained racism through Ellen’s interactions and perceptions. Her friendship with Starletta, a black girl, initially reflects the prejudices she's been taught. Yet as Ellen grows, she begins to dismantle these biases, learning to appreciate Starletta as a person rather than through a racial lens.

"Every rule in the book says" she should not befriend a "colored" girl, yet she feels a misguided sense of superiority over Starletta.

These novels highlight that, despite temporal and narrative differences, the struggle against racism remains a pertinent theme across generations.

Temporal Structure and Narrative Flow

The narrative structures of these novels enhance their thematic depth. Faulkner's As I Lay Dying employs a fragmented timeline through various monologues, creating a tapestry of perspectives that convey the complexity of the Bundren family's journey. Ellen Foster’s story, by contrast, is presented through a combination of present-day experiences and flashbacks, providing a rich tapestry of Ellen’s past and present. Her narrative oscillates between the chaos of her former life and the newfound stability with her "new mama," illustrating her journey from turmoil to safety.

This temporal interplay allows Gibbons to depict Ellen's growth dynamically, contrasting the security of her current life against the instability she once endured. These storytelling techniques serve to immerse the reader in the characters' psychological landscapes, making their journeys more profound and relatable.

Imagery of Maternity and Sustenance

In Ellen Foster, imagery surrounding motherhood and nourishment underscores Ellen's desperate need for care and affection, emphasizing the novel’s emotional core. The death of Ellen's "real mama" leaves a void that she desperately seeks to fill, leading her to fixate on maternal figures throughout her life. Her interactions with food further symbolize her yearning for care; despite her hunger, she initially refuses food from Starletta's family due to internalized prejudices but eventually recognizes the nurturing this gesture represents.

"I stay starved though," she admits, hinting at a deeper hunger for belonging and connection.

This imagery is pivotal in illustrating Ellen's internal struggles and her eventual realization of what true family and community mean.

A Journey of Growth and Self-Discovery

The journey of personal growth is a central theme in Ellen Foster, reflecting the broader bildungsroman tradition. Ellen's evolution from a neglected child to a self-reliant individual is marked by her ability to identify the harmful aspects of her past and seek out the nurturing environment she craves. Her exposure to racial prejudices and her interactions with diverse individuals lead to significant personal development, allowing her to question societal norms and form her own ethical framework.

Similar themes of growth are evident in Huck's journey in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, where his moral development is intertwined with his adventures with Jim. Both novels emphasize the protagonists' transitions from innocence to a more nuanced understanding of the world, underscoring the power of personal experiences in shaping one’s identity.

Ellen Foster is part of the Southern tradition in American literature and also fits within the genre of first-person coming-of-age stories.

1. Consider how Ellen's experience of moving through various homes could affect her ability to form connections with others, either positively or negatively.

2. Ellen suffers from child abuse. What societal factors might increase the likelihood of child abuse occurring? Explore the cycle of abuse and how it can be disrupted. What might be the future outcome for Ellen?

3. Reflect on the common understanding of "family." How did this concept evolve throughout the twentieth century? Analyze how Ellen develops her own definition of family.

4. Ellen connects with many characters through their roles as "mamas." Analyze the behavior of the different mothers in the novel. What aspects of motherhood does each one embody?

5. Examine the portrayal of male characters in the novel. Discuss how Gibbons characterizes males and the role each male character plays in the narrative.

6. Analyze Gibbons’s use of a first-person narrator in Ellen Foster. What would be gained or lost if the story were told from a third-person perspective? How might the inclusion of multiple narrators have improved or detracted from the story?

The socio-political landscape of the 1980s offers a rich tapestry for understanding the themes and characters in Kaye Gibbons' novel, Ellen Foster. Against a backdrop of conservative political shifts, challenges to civil rights advances, and economic disparities, the narrative of Ellen unfolds. This novel, while deeply personal, echoes the societal tensions and transformations of its time.

Shifting Political and Social Climates

The 1980s in America was a time of significant political and social change, marked by a conservative wave that sought to dismantle liberal policies established in previous decades. This era saw a rollback of civil liberties and a growing gap between rich and poor, as various administrations resisted initiatives addressing social issues like homelessness, AIDS research, and urban violence. Such policies often framed assistance to the needy as fostering dependency rather than promoting self-reliance.

Amidst these national dynamics, Ellen Foster explores personal narratives that reflect broader societal changes. Characters like Julia, who transitions from a 1960s flower child to a pragmatic art teacher, embody this societal shift. Julia's inability to change Ellen's dire circumstances underscores the era's tension between past idealism and present realities, as well as the idea that "traditional family values" often masked the complexities of actual family dynamics.

Child Abuse Awareness and Systemic Failures

The 1980s also marked a period of increased awareness and reporting of child abuse, yet systemic support remained inadequate. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974 mandated more diligent reporting, leading to a significant rise in reported cases throughout the decade. However, social service agencies were often overwhelmed, operating within a conservative climate reluctant to fully address child abuse as a pressing societal issue.

In this context, Ellen's story is particularly poignant. Her father's abuse is initially hidden, only coming to light when a teacher notices her bruises. The subsequent judicial decision to place Ellen with her abusive grandmother, despite her finding temporary refuge with Julia, highlights the systemic failures of the time. Ellen's journey to find a secure home becomes a testament to her resilience in the face of inadequate support systems.

Racial Tensions and Personal Growth

Racial dynamics in the 1980s were complex, as progress made during the civil rights movement faced significant setbacks. The economic gap between black and white Americans widened, fueling racial tensions and contributing to a climate of fear and hostility. Ellen's relationship with her black friend Starletta mirrors these societal issues. Initially, Ellen's feelings of superiority and fear of "colored germs" reflect broader racial prejudices of the period.

However, as the novel progresses, Ellen's evolving friendship with Starletta becomes a powerful narrative of personal growth. Her eventual repentance of earlier prejudices suggests a potential for overcoming societal barriers. This narrative thread not only underscores the novel's coming-of-age theme but also reflects the possibility of personal transformation amid persistent societal challenges.

Gibbons and the Southern Literary Tradition

Kaye Gibbons' work, particularly Ellen Foster, situates itself within the rich tradition of Southern literature, known for its distinctive narrative voice and exploration of themes like racism and societal expectations. Published in 1987 by a small North Carolina press, the novel received critical acclaim, with Southern fiction icons like Eudora Welty and Walker Percy praising its authenticity. While some critics noted occasional sentimentality, most agreed that Ellen's voice and character were compellingly crafted.

Gibbons' narrative techniques empower her characters, particularly women who navigate burdens and challenges within a patriarchal society. While Ellen's story ends on a hopeful note, Gibbons' later works often depict women finding strength and humor in life's adversities, suggesting a nuanced approach to storytelling that avoids simplistic resolutions. Her ability to portray difficult, sometimes tragic events with subtlety and insight distinguishes her work within the literary canon.

Autobiographical Influences and Broader Impacts

Ellen Foster's narrative reflects Gibbons' own experiences, as she drew from her childhood events, such as her mother's suicide and subsequent familial displacements, to craft the novel's plot. Born in North Carolina in 1960, Gibbons initially avoided public discussions of her personal history, preferring to focus on her work's universality rather than autobiography.

The character of Starletta, initially conceived as a poem during Gibbons' college years, became central to Ellen's story, illustrating broader societal themes through personal relationships. Gibbons' admission of consistently writing about "women's burdens" reveals her commitment to exploring the complexities of female characters and their resilience.

The conservative social trends of the 1980s undeniably influenced Gibbons' writing. Julia's character exemplifies the era's political and social climates, her transition from idealistic youth to pragmatic adulthood mirroring the broader cultural shifts. This tension between past aspirations and present realities forms a central theme in the novel, challenging the notion of "traditional family values" and highlighting the need for genuine human connections.

Ultimately, Ellen Foster is a compelling coming-of-age story that captures the essence of a transformative period in American history. Through Ellen's voice and experiences, Gibbons offers readers a lens to examine societal issues and personal growth, ensuring the novel's enduring relevance and impact.

Sights Unseen by Kaye Gibbons (1995) is told from the perspective of Hattie, who reflects as an adult on how her mother's mental illness impacted their family during her childhood. Similar to Ellen Foster, twelve-year-old Hattie yearns for normalcy and a sense of belonging, possessing wisdom beyond her years.

Dorothy E. Allison's novel Bastard Out of Carolina (1992) is narrated by Bone, a young girl born out of wedlock into an impoverished South Carolina family, who suffers sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather. Bone's narrative voice conveys the sensitive insights of a girl navigating the challenges of growing up.

Lost in the System (1996) by Charlotte Lopez with Susan Dworkin recounts the true story of Lopez's life as a foster child, moving from one foster home to another in search of love and stability. Despite her challenging beginnings, Lopez successfully overcame her circumstances and went on to win the 1993 Miss Teen USA title.

• Ellen Foster, a Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie released in 1997, featured a screenplay written by an unspecified writer and was directed by an unspecified director. Notable cast members included Glynnis O'Connor, Jena Malone, Julie Harris, and Debra Monk. The production was part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame series.
• Ellen Foster audiobook, read by Kaye Gibbons, was released in an abridged edition on audiocassette (three hours) by Simon & Schuster (Audio) in 1996.

Sources
Pearl K. Bell, "Southern Discomfort," The New Republic, Vol. 198, No. 9, February 29, 1988, pp. 38-41.

Deanna D'Errico, Review in Belles Lettres: A Review of Books by Women, Vol. 3, No. 1, September-October, 1987, p. 9.

Review of Ellen Foster, in Kirkus Reviews, Vol LV, No. 6, March 15, 1987, p. 404.

Review of Ellen Foster, in Publishers Weekly, Vol. 231, No. 11, March 20, 1987, p. 70.

Stanley Fish, Self-Consuming Artifacts - The Experience of Seventeenth-Century Literature, University of California Press, 1972.

Alice Hoffman, "Shopping for a New Family," in The New York Times Book Review, May 31, 1987, p. 13.

Brad Hooper, Review in Booklist, Vol. 84, No. 1, September 1, 1987, p. 27.

Veronica Makowsky, "The Only Hard Part Was the Food: Recipes for Self-Nurture in Kaye Gibbons's Novels," in Southern Quarterly, Vol. 30, Nos. 2-3, Winter-Spring 1992, pp. 103-112.

"On Tour - Kaye Gibbons," in Hungry Mind Review: An Independent Book Review, November 22, 1997, http://www.bookwire.com/hmr/REVIEW/tgibbonshtml.

Linda Taylor, "A Kind of Primitive Charm," in The Sunday Times, London, May 8, 1988, p. G6.

For Further Study
Leonore Fleischer, "Is It Art Yet," in Publishers Weekly, Vol. 231, May 8, 1987, p. 34. This article explores the journey of how Ellen Foster was crafted and released.

Kaye Gibbons, "My Mother, Literature, and a Life Split Neatly into Two Halves," in The Writer on Her Work, Vol. II, edited by Janet Sternburg, Norton, 1991, pp. 52-60. An autobiographical narrative detailing Gibbons’s path to becoming an author and her mother's significant impact on her life.

Veronica Makowsky, "Walker Percy and Southern Literature," in The Walker Percy Project, December 3, 1997, http://sunsite.unc.edu/wpercy/makowsky.html. This piece primarily examines Walker Percy's writings while addressing the question "What is Southern Literature?" It provides a comprehensive historical and cultural context of this literary genre, mentioning Gibbons as a representative of Southern women's literature.

Julian Mason, "Kaye Gibbons (I960-)," in Contemporary Fiction Writers of the South. A Bio-bibliographical Source-book, edited by Joseph M. Flora and Robert Bain, Greenwood Press, 1993, pp. 156-68. Mason offers a concise biography of Gibbons along with insights into the key themes present in her work.

Don O'Briant, "Seeing Beyond Illness," in y'all the arts: arts, entertainment, fun and silly things people do, December 2, 1997, http://www.yall.com/thearts/quiU/gibbons.html. This interview with Gibbons covers her early writing career, family life, novels, and experiences with manic depression.

Bob Summer, "PW interviews," in Publishers Weekly, Vol. 240, February 8, 1993, pp. 60-61. An interview with Kaye Gibbons in which she talks about the autobiographical elements in Ellen Foster and the challenges she faced while writing her fourth novel, Charms for the Easy Life.