Student Question
What are the social conditions and mood in Rumble Fish?
Quick answer:
The social conditions in "Rumble Fish" are bleak, characterized by poverty and familial dysfunction. Rusty-James lives in a poor neighborhood with his alcoholic father, who is disconnected from his children. The mood is dark and depressing, as Rusty-James has no trustworthy relationships or prospects for a better future. This despair is underscored by his later life, where he emerges from prison aimless and without hope.
To me, the mood in this book is really quite dark and depressing. I say this because the social conditions that Rusty-James and his family are living in are quite unpleasant.
Rusty-James is living with his father in a poor part of town. His father is an alcoholic who has been like that ever since his wife (Rusty-James's mother) left the family. He has a lot of education but has lost the will to be someone. He cannot understand his kids and sees them as sort of curiosities.
So, to me, the story is very dark. Rusty-James's life seems depressing because he really has no one to trust and no real prospects for improving his life. We get this feeling right from the start when we find out that, five years after the events of the book, Rusty-James is just out of prison and has no aim in life.
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