Historical Context
The Bush Presidency
In the wake of Ronald Reagan's tenure, George Bush ascended to the presidency in 1988. Domestically, he spearheaded the War on Drugs, an ambitious crusade to dismantle the illicit drug trade both on American soil and beyond its borders. While the initiative included education and treatment programs, its core strategy leaned heavily on law enforcement to curb drug use. Additionally, the U.S. extended legal and financial incentives to foreign nations to capture prominent drug smugglers. December 1989 marked a significant moment when Bush authorized a bold military incursion into Panama to detain its dictator, Manuel Noriega, on drug trafficking charges. By 1992, Noriega faced conviction by a U.S. federal court. In a stride towards environmental reform, Bush enacted legislation updating the Clean Air Act, mandating reductions in atmospheric emissions. Moreover, he championed the Americans with Disabilities Act, ensuring individuals with disabilities gained equal access to public spaces, transit systems, and job opportunities.
Social Issues in the Late 1980s
By the dawn of the 1990s, the landscape of American households had transformed remarkably, with a significant surge in single-parent families over the preceding two decades. By 1991, approximately twenty percent of white children, sixty percent of African American children, and thirty percent of Hispanic children were raised in single-parent homes, predominantly under their mothers' care. These families often found themselves tethered to poverty, with single parents grappling with severe financial challenges.
AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, which had emerged in the early '80s, continued to perplex the scientific community. The disease spread rapidly as the 1990s commenced, yet meaningful strides toward a cure remained elusive. Activists criticized the U.S. government for its sluggish response and insufficient funding in addressing the AIDS epidemic.
The U.S. Economy
President Bush's economic strategies faced public skepticism. The stock market's dramatic tumble in October 1987 fueled fears of another economic depression. The plunge severely impacted savings and loan institutions (S&Ls), many of which had made ill-fated investments that plummeted in value. Risky loans to real estate developers exacerbated the situation, and as the real estate market crumbled, repayment failures led numerous S&Ls to bankruptcy, compelling the government to cover billions in insured deposits.
The economic landscape further deteriorated with the stock market decline, the S&L crisis, expenses from the Persian Gulf War, a recession, and a soaring federal deficit. By the early '90s, the economy's strength had noticeably waned compared to previous years, with over 2 million more Americans slipping below the poverty threshold in 1990.
America Abroad
On the global stage, President Bush navigated two pivotal issues: the conclusion of the Cold War and the Persian Gulf War. Encouraged by Bush, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev pursued reforms steering the Soviet Union towards democracy, which spurred several Soviet republics to assert their independence. November 1989 witnessed the dramatic fall of the Berlin Wall by pro-democracy Germans, ending its nearly three-decade existence. The subsequent year saw the reunification of East and West Germany. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, as more Soviets opposed staunch party leaders, the Cold War reached its denouement.
January 1991 ushered in Operation Desert Storm, led by an American-backed United Nations force in retaliation for Iraq's stubborn hold over Kuwait. Saddam Hussein, Iraq's leader, had long claimed Kuwait, a land rich in oil, as part of his nation. Following a six-week aerial campaign, a ground invasion ensued, swiftly compelling Iraq to accept cease-fire terms, including its withdrawal from Kuwait. This triumphant conclusion to the Persian Gulf War bolstered President Bush's standing with the public.
Literary Style
Humor
An element of Operating Instructions that resonates with...
(This entire section contains 681 words.)
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countless reviewers and is bound to captivate many readers is its rich humor. Lamott's reflections brim with wit, irreverence, and keen insight. She wields humor masterfully, allowing her to convey thoughts on life that are often heartfelt and solemn, yet she avoids becoming overly didactic or burdensome. Early in the book, she muses on the absurdity of bringing a child into the world, knowing they must endure the trials of seventh and eighth grades: "The seventh and eighth grades were for me, and for every single good and interesting person I’ve ever known, what the writers of the Bible meant when they used the wordshell and the pit." While humorously lamenting these trying years, she unveils a poignant truth: “But more than anything else, they were about hurt and loneliness.”
Furthermore, Lamott channels humor to articulate her deeply held convictions, including her political views. She earnestly hopes that her newborn Sam will not grow up embracing Republican ideals. On his one-month birthday, as the television news hums in the background, she expresses her opinions about President Bush. "Study that face for a second, listen to that whiny voice," she instructs Sam, relishing the moment when Sam gazes "intently at the TV for a few moments," before delivering "the loudest, most horrible fart I’ve ever heard." As a staunch liberal, she declares, "My hatred of American conservatives apparently sustains and defines me as much as my love of Jesus does, since I don’t think I’m willing to have it removed." As is her style, she segues humor into introspection, pondering a deeper question: “Who would I be without it?”
Lamott delights in the fact that her friends share her "sick senses of humor," acknowledging that she and Pammy have spent twenty-five years steeped in black humor and cynicism. This dark humor is particularly evident when Pammy battles cancer. "All day Pammy has been asking me to do favors for her," Lamott recounts. "Then she says that I have to do whatever she asks because it’s her last wish." Yet, humor becomes a shield against the pain and anxiety of Pammy’s illness. Lamott feels the impending loss deeply, as she pours into her journal:
Pammy came by with strawberry sorbet and the new People magazine... She’s so incredibly kind to us. It would be much easier to think of losing her if she weren’t so... kind. Maybe I will talk to her about this tomorrow.
Narrative Structure
The narrative unfolds as a chronological journal capturing Lamott's real-time reflections and observations during Sam's inaugural year. This journal maps out the milestones of a baby's life, charting Sam's journey as he learns to lift his head, roll over, crawl, and eventually walk. In this flexible narrative framework, Lamott contemplates her own past while speculating about the future awaiting both her and Sam. Her musings often diverge from Sam's life, delving into the emotions that motherhood stirs within her. She reflects on her own childhood, her political perspectives, and her spiritual beliefs.
Writing
In the first month of Sam's life, Lamott ruminates on her philosophies regarding writing. Having already published three novels and with a fourth on the horizon shortly after Sam’s birth, she reflects on her father's belief that their role as writers was to entertain. She writes, "I think he believed that the best way to entertain the troops is to tell stories, and the ones that they seem to like the best are ones about themselves." This sentiment resonates with Lamott's prior novels, each drawing inspiration from her life experiences. Yet, during this time, her creative efforts are primarily channeled into her journal, and her enthusiasm for fiction wanes. This is partly due to the demands of caring for Sam, but also because the "emptiness and desire and craving and feeling and need to achieve" have dissipated. With Sam's presence, the urgency to write disappears, bringing her a tranquility that starkly contrasts the "rush" or "hit of something, of anything" she previously yearned for.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources Carroll, Jon, Review, in Whole Earth Review, No. 78, Spring 1993, p. 24.
Jonté, Dawna Lee, Review, in Belle Lettres: A Review of Books by Women, Vol. 9, No. 1, Fall 1993, p. 7.
Review, in Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 1993.
Review, in Publishers Weekly, Vol. 240, No. 12, March 22, 1993, p. 65.
Taylor, Erika, ‘‘Keep the Baby and the Faith,’’ in Los Angeles Times Book Review, May 9, 1993, p. 2.
Further Reading
Feinsilver, Pamela, ‘‘Anne Lamott: The California Writer Talks about the Birth of Her Son and the Rebirth of Her Career,’’ in Publishers Weekly, Vol. 240, No. 22, May 31, 1993, p. 30. This article presents a good overview of Lamott’s life, work, and her inspirations.
Fisk, Molly, ‘‘Anne Lamott: One Bird at a Time,’’ in Poets & Writers Magazine, Vol. 24, No. 5, September–October 1996, p. 52. This interview with Lamott focuses on the success of Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird, as well as on ideas to help new writers.
Lachnit, Caroll, ‘‘Anne Lamott: Taking It Bird by Bird,’’ in Writer’s Digest, Vol. 7, No. 6, June 1996, p. 30. In this interview, Lamott discusses how and why she writes.
Lamott, Anne, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Pantheon Books, 1999. This nonfiction work presents Lamott’s religious ideals and beliefs in greater depth.
Montgomery-Fate, Tom, ‘‘Vulnerability Is Not Weakness,’’ in The Other Side, Vol. 36, No. 2, March 2000, p. 28. Montgomery-Fate discusses how Lamott’s three works of nonfiction all focus on the process of becoming something—a mother, a writer, and a Christian.
