Summary
Joyce Carol Oates's novel "them" artfully interweaves the lives of Loretta Wendall and her children, Maureen and Jules, against the backdrop of Detroit from the late 1930s to the tumultuous 1960s. Through the personal struggles and societal pressures faced by these characters, the novel explores themes of survival, identity, and the pervasive influence of socio-economic conditions. Spanning three decades, the narrative reveals how each family member navigates their personal desires and challenges amid a rapidly changing world.
The Thirties
In the grim environment of an urban slum, Loretta Botsford finds solace in her appearance as she stands before a mirror. Her father is a victim of alcoholism, a casualty of the Great Depression, while her mother has passed away. Her brother, Brock, is increasingly hostile, consumed by confusion and alienation. Yet, Loretta remains buoyant, finding joy in her conventional beauty that mirrors that of countless other girls of the era. After a fight with Brock, she encounters Bernie Malin. The night takes a dark turn when Bernie is shot by Brock, forcing Loretta into a terrorized flight until a policeman named Howard Wendall returns her to her home and violates her.
Loretta's life shifts dramatically as she finds herself married to Howard, pregnant with what could be his or Bernie’s child. Despite these changes, she convinces herself of contentment even as she feels isolated from the vibrant city life she craves. Her father is institutionalized, and her son Jules is born. Howard, embroiled in accusations of corruption, loses his job. The family relocates to the countryside with Howard’s parents, where Loretta feels increasingly disconnected.
The Forties
With Howard off fighting in the war, Jules grows into a curious and intelligent child. His world is shattered by the traumatic sight of a decapitated man from a plane crash. The novel shifts focus to Jules as he grapples with the stifling confines of his family life. A transformative experience with a magic show reveals to Jules the fleeting and destructive power of fire when he accidentally burns down a barn. Meanwhile, Loretta's restlessness grows, prompting her to take the children back to Detroit, where she is promptly arrested for streetwalking.
The Fifties
A decade later finds Howard back in Detroit with Loretta, their new child Betty, and Jules infatuated with a nun. Over the years, the family has shifted residences, and Grandma Wendall has joined them. The narrative switches to Maureen's perspective, a quiet, meticulous girl who seeks refuge in the library and detests the disorder around her. After Howard's fatal workplace accident, the family's emotional detachment becomes apparent. Loretta finds work and remarries, this time to Pat Furlong, while Grandma Wendall is institutionalized. The promising futures of the children fade, as Jules drops out of high school and Betty frequently clashes with the law.
Maureen maintains her "good girl" image until a misstep with a school book marks her downfall. Obsessed with escaping her environment, she turns to prostitution, and her academic performance suffers. When Furlong discovers Maureen's hidden money, he brutally beats her, leaving her in a near-catatonic state for a year. As Maureen's recovery begins, the narrative shifts to Jules’s perspective, chronicling the family's further disintegration. In the midst of Loretta's divorce from Furlong, Jules finds work with a gangster-like figure, Bernard Geffen, whose niece, Nadine, captivates him.
Nadine persuades Jules to flee with her to Texas or Mexico, leading them on a doomed adventure marked by crime and survival. Jules's health deteriorates, forcing Nadine to leave him helpless and alone. Returning to Detroit, Maureen’s perspective resumes, detailing her gradual recovery with Brock's help and her subsequent steps toward...
(This entire section contains 870 words.)
Unlock this Study Guide Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
independence. She secures employment, leaves home, and eventually attends the University of Detroit, where Joyce Carol Oates becomes one of her professors.
The Sixties
In 1966, Jules has returned to Detroit and works for his Uncle Samson as Brock nears death. A chance encounter with Nadine reignites past emotions, and they meet clandestinely. Despite Nadine’s marriage, their reunion leads to intimacy, but Nadine's mental instability culminates in her shooting Jules after convincing herself of her own impurity.
Maureen, meanwhile, is infatuated with her married teacher, echoing Loretta's earlier vanity. Her deep-seated racial hatred paralyzes her. Though Jules survives the shooting, he vanishes, leaving Maureen to navigate her teacher’s affection. As political unrest simmers, Maureen informs Loretta of her marriage plans amid the backdrop of televised protests. By 1967, Jules, wandering through Detroit’s streets, becomes embroiled in discussions about leadership and revolution.
As summer’s heat rises, Jules’s strained relationship with Marcia coincides with the eruption of citywide riots. Caught in the chaos, Jules finds himself pursued by police and, in a moment of desperation, retaliates by shooting an officer. Loretta’s building is destroyed by fire; temporarily, she finds shelter in a middle-class home. Watching a television broadcast, she recognizes Jules among those defending their actions during the riots. His assertion, "Fire burns and does its duty," resonates ominously. Ultimately, Jules and Maureen part ways; she embarks on a new life while he heads west, aligned with a radical group, and involved with a woman named Vera. Their poignant farewell underscores their divergent paths, reflective of the novel’s exploration of autonomy and consequence.