Salvage the Bones

by Jesmyn Ward

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Salvage the Bones

Esch's perception of her pregnancy in Salvage the Bones is initially one of denial and confusion. She experiences physical symptoms and emotional turmoil, but she struggles to acknowledge her...

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Salvage the Bones

Esch tells Manny she is pregnant in hopes of receiving love, respect, and acknowledgment from him. However, Manny's reaction is dismissive and aggressive, as he is only interested in exploiting her....

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Salvage the Bones

Esch compares herself to China and Medea as mothers by recognizing the violent attributes of motherhood and placing herself in their powerful lineage. However, it’d be hard to argue that Esch intends...

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Salvage the Bones

Esch develops her ideas of motherhood from memories of her own mother and from watching China with her puppies. In the first chapter of the novel, the reader learns that Esch's mother died shortly...

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Salvage the Bones

Esch's love for Manny reveals her character as passionate, intelligent, and loyal. She views her feelings as deep and mythic, akin to legendary loves, showing her depth and connection to literary...

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Salvage the Bones

Mama's presence in Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones is depicted through the memories and daily activities of her children, particularly Esch. Despite her death seven years prior, Mama's influence is...

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Salvage the Bones

The relationship between Esch and China in Salvage the Bones is deeply symbolic, reflecting themes of survival and motherhood. Both Esch, a pregnant teenager, and China, a pregnant pit bull, navigate...

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Salvage the Bones

This family is not going to leave. They have never left before and, in terms of their own perception, they are not poor. They do not depend on the state for anything so this is not about feeling...

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Salvage the Bones

Skeetah is a deeply loving and loyal brother who paradoxically participates in dog fighting. He is protective of his dog, China, and her puppies, showing them great care. He also prioritizes his...

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Salvage the Bones

The setting of Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones contributes greatly to the empathy that is built between the reader and the speaker, Esch. For instance, the reader learns in the first chapter that...

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Salvage the Bones

Both Esch and Medea have been taken advantage of by the men they love, both are left by them in some way, and both have a child that they must protect.

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Salvage the Bones

The tenth chapter of the book is titled "In the Endless Eye," and this title refers to the calm before the storm.

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Salvage the Bones

In Salvage the Bones, Bois Sauvage is a predominantly African American coastal town in Mississippi that is hit by Hurricane Katrina.

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Salvage the Bones

The juxtaposition of violence and tenderness creates a powerful emotional impact as the reader is swept along with the family in their struggle to survive.

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Salvage the Bones

Esch’s interest in the mythological figure of Medea suggests that she is smart, emotional, willful, and resilient. Her deviation from the myth suggests that she and her family can give her baby a...

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Salvage the Bones

In "Salvage the Bones," pregnancy symbolizes both the life force and the loneliness of human connection. China, a dog, and Esch, the protagonist, both experience this duality as they navigate...

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Salvage the Bones

Esch's coming-of-age story in Salvage the Bones is marked by her pregnancy, race, and economic hardship in Bois Sauvage, presenting a complex bildungsroman. Unlike traditional narratives, Esch's...

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