Identity and Self
At the age of twelve, Frankie is entering the stage of adolescence, a period marked by substantial changes and deep reflections on her identity and future self. McCullers captures Frankie’s inner turmoil in the opening section, describing:
In the early morning, she would sometimes wander into the yard, standing there for long stretches, watching the sunrise. It was as if a question arose in her heart, but the sky provided no answers. Things that she had previously ignored began to disturb her: the glow of home lights from the sidewalks at dusk, a mysterious voice in the alleyway. She would watch the lights and listen to the voice, sensing something inside her tighten and wait. Yet, the lights would dim, the voice would stop, and even though she lingered, that was all there was. She feared the things that made her suddenly question who she was, what she would become in the world, and why she stood there at that moment, seeing a light or listening or looking up at the sky: alone.
Frankie is unusually tall for her age, which contributes to her feeling awkward and clumsy. As a tomboy, she dresses in boyish clothes and keeps her hair short, seeing nothing but unattractiveness in her reflection. Her self-esteem is low, as demonstrated in this excerpt from the first part:
This was the summer when Frankie was tired of being Frankie. She loathed herself, having turned into a loafer and a worthless person who hung around the summer kitchen: dirty, greedy, unpleasant, and miserable.
Frankie has lost interest in many activities that once entertained her, feeling trapped between childhood and adulthood. As the story progresses, readers observe her changing sense of identity through each name change. Initially, she is Frankie, reflecting her tomboyish nature. When she decides to join her brother and his new wife, she chooses the name F. Jasmine, aligning her name (Jasmine) more closely with theirs, Jarvis and Janice. She tries to connect with them through this name change. By the end, she decides to go by Frances, her birth name. This choice signifies her acceptance of herself as a maturing young woman who can define her identity within societal expectations.
The Need to Belong
McCullers delves into the theme of belonging as a counterpart to the theme of identity. While identity raises the question, “Who am I as an individual?” the need to belong asks, “Who am I in connection with others?” From the beginning, McCullers highlights this theme:
This was the summer when, for the first time in a long while, she wasn't part of anything. She didn't belong to any club or group in the world. Frankie had become a solitary figure, lingering in doorways, and she felt scared.
She isn't accepted into the summer club formed by a group of neighborhood girls who are slightly older than her. Although she used to be somewhat of a junior member of this group, the older girls have lost interest in including Frankie. Furthermore, she lacks the support from family that often helps teenagers through these difficult years. The closest she has to a family is the trio of herself, Berenice, and John Henry.
Frankie is frustrated by her inability to contribute to the war effort in a significant way. McCullers writes, “She wanted to be a boy and go to war as a Marine.” Due to her age and gender, she cannot enlist in the military. She decides to donate blood in hopes that it will flow through the veins of soldiers worldwide, believing this will connect her to the war effort. When the Red Cross turns...
(This entire section contains 349 words.)
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down her blood donation because she's too young, Frankie feels disappointed and angry, extending her frustration to the entire world, which “seemed somehow separate from herself.”
Upon learning that her brother plans to marry a local girl, she imagines herself as part of the wedding and their new family. In her mind, she becomes so closely connected with the bride and groom that she plans to join them on their honeymoon and move with them wherever they settle. She believes everyone is part of a “we,” insisting that Jarvis and Janice are “the we of me.” Her strong desire to belong and her innocence prevent her from realizing how impractical and inappropriate her plan is.
Isolation and the Search for Love and Acceptance
The Member of the Wedding delves into the poignant theme of human isolation and the longing for love and acceptance, which serves as a remedy for this solitude. The narrative also delicately intertwines minor themes such as death, race, time, and war, enriching the complex tapestry of human experience.
At the heart of the story is Frankie, navigating the often turbulent waters between childhood and adulthood. She finds herself in a liminal space—too mature for childhood pastimes like dolls, yet too inexperienced to grasp the complexities of adulthood, exemplified by her confusion over the "nasty lies about married people" shared by older peers. Her isolation is compounded by the absence of a mother, a father absorbed in his own world, a brother serving in the army, and the loss of a close friend who has moved away. Frankie’s interactions with Berenice and John Henry provide little solace, as she feels disconnected from them as well.
Despite her attempts to project an air of resilience, Frankie’s tough exterior conceals a deep vulnerability. Her yearning for connection finds a focal point in the relationship between her brother Jarvis and his fiancée Janice, whose bond she perceives as the epitome of acceptance and belonging. This sudden realization ignites in Frankie a desperate hope to escape her isolation and become part of something greater than herself, reflecting a universal human desire for connection and community.
Death and Isolation
In the tapestry of human experience, death stands as a profound architect of isolation. For Mr. Addams, enduring the solitude of a longtime widower, life becomes a silent echo of past companionship. Similarly, Mr. and Mrs. West are thrust into a chasm of loneliness, mourning the irreplaceable loss of their only son. This shared journey of grief binds them into a poignant portrait of isolation and remembrance.
Berenice’s story adds another layer to this theme. The loss of her first husband, a man with whom she shared a deep and loving connection, leaves her grappling with an enduring solitude. Her experience is a testament to how the death of a cherished partner can cast a long shadow over one's life, transforming vibrant relationships into memories and underscoring the isolating nature of loss. Together, these narratives weave an intricate exploration of how death severs connections and isolates individuals in the echoing silence of their grief.
Racial Isolation
In Carson McCullers’ play, racial isolation is poignantly illustrated through characters like Berenice, T.T., and Honey. The stark reality of racial identity is captured in a moment when Frankie remarks to Berenice, "it must be terrible to be nothing but black, black, black," to which Berenice somberly replies, "Yes, baby." This exchange follows closely after an unsettling confrontation between Mr. Addams and Honey, underscoring the grim societal reality for Southern blacks during the period.
The play explores two distinct responses to this racial isolation. Characters like Berenice and T.T. seek acceptance within the white community by adopting a submissive demeanor, navigating a precarious line in hopes of fitting in. Conversely, Honey embodies defiance against the societal norms that marginalize him, albeit with perilous consequences. This dichotomy highlights the limited and challenging choices available to black individuals in the segregated South, where any deviation from entrenched roles could lead to catastrophe.
The Suddenness of Life-Changing Events
Life has a way of transforming in an instant, a theme poignantly explored in the play. After a stretch of monotonous days, an unexpected announcement shatters the calm: Janice and Jarvis are set to marry in just two days. This whirlwind of events doesn't stop there. In mere months, John Henry and Honey have died, leaving a profound void. Meanwhile, Frankie finds herself amidst upheaval as she and her father prepare to move, leaving behind Berenice, who will not accompany them. This cascade of change leads Frankie to observe, with striking clarity, that "the world is certainly—a sudden place."
