Analysis
Like most of Daniel Woodrell’s other novels, including Give Us a Kiss, Tomato Red, and The Death of Sweet Mister, Winter’s Bone is set in the Missouri Ozarks. As a native of Missouri himself, Woodrell’s writing is notable for its accurate depictions of the wild, often brutally beautiful, landscape of the Ozarks. In 1996, he coined the term “country noir” to describe his novel Give Us a Kiss. Since then, it has been recognized as the subgenre in which his works are written.
Country noir is an offshoot of the Southern Gothic genre popularized by classic American novelists such as William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, and Carson McCullers. The two genres share certain similar characteristics, including rural settings, themes of darkness and decay, and class awareness. However, unlike the Southern Gothic literature, country noir works also incorporate and emphasizes typical noir elements, such as an anti-hero (often the protagonist), a corrupt and crime-ridden society, and the lack of an absolute moral authority. Woodrell is one of the first American authors to draw on these classic qualities of urban noir and reinsert them into country narratives.
The trope of a sprawling, lawless land is typical of noir works, and in Winter’s Bone, Woodrell conjures a wild and desolate setting where violence lurks around the corner and the law is not to be trusted. The setting of Winter’s Bone forms an integral part of the narrative, as the cold and isolated mountains of the Ozarks shape the novel’s characters into tough, guarded stoics who must learn to gather wood, hunt animals, and even commit crimes just to survive. The world of Winter’s Bone is replete with violence and crime, and Ree Dolly, the protagonist, is forced to dig deep into her family’s network of methamphetamine operations in order to search for her father—a meth cook himself. In the process, she encounters both close and distant relatives who consume, cook, or deal illegal substances. These same relatives are known for engaging in violence over even the pettiest affronts, and though Ree herself is not a violent person, her grit and unwavering determination give her the courage to confront her dangerous relatives.
Like its sister genre, Southern Gothic, country noir is deeply concerned with class and poverty. In Winter’s Bone, most of the inhabitants of the Ozarks come from low-income and even no-income households—as in the case of Ree Dolly and her family. As a result, many in the Dolly clan turn to crime to make ends meet. This subversion of the promise of the American dream is typical of country noir, as it exposes how the US government has failed and neglected certain vulnerable communities. This failure of government extends even to the local level, where the law is the enemy and not to be trusted, as demonstrated through Deputy Baskin’s indifference to the plight of Ree and her family.
Woodrell also subverts noir tropes in Winter’s Bone . Ree Dolly doesn’t fit cleanly into the role of a classic noir anti-hero, who is usually hard-boiled, cynical, tragically flawed, and male. While Ree possesses all the tenacity of the noir anti-hero, her unwavering loyalty to her family is uncharacteristic of the trope, and her cynicism is tempered by her genuine hope for a better life for her and her younger brothers. Notably, Ree also refuses to engage in the sort of casual substance abuse that is typical of noir anti-heroes. She remains committed to her decision to stay clean despite various members of her clan offering her crystal meth throughout the novel, explaining to Teardrop that “nobody...
(This entire section contains 932 words.)
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gets better” from methamphetamines. Her clarity of purpose and refusal to compromise indicate that though she is no stranger to crime and violence, Ree’s moral compass is steadfast—a far cry from the ambiguous morals of the stereotypical noir anti-hero.
This subversion of the anti-hero trope also contains feminist undertones. The noir anti-hero is often male and possesses normatively masculine traits such as assertiveness, independence, and self-reliance. In Winter’s Bone, the character who best fits the classic description of the noir anti-hero is Uncle Teardrop. Teardrop is introduced as a meth dealer and an ex-convict who almost assaults Ree for talking back to him. Despite his tendency toward violence and his disregard for the law, Teardrop saves Ree’s life, displaying a personal code of honor common to noir anti-heroes. Even though Teardrop is the quintessential anti-hero, Woodrell chooses to position Winter’s Bone from the perspective of a young girl—Ree. Like Teardrop, Ree possesses courage and strength, but her strength has a different source. While Teardrop is fueled by anger and drugs, Ree derives her strength from normatively feminine qualities such as empathy, compassion, and loyalty; however, rather than softening Ree, these traits instill in her a steely determination to accomplish her task at any cost, even as the men around her urge her to back down. Toward the end of the novel, it is Teardrop who, unable to control his emotions, goes off to seek revenge for Jessup’s murder. By contrast, Ree displays a stoic practicality, staying behind and resolving to buy a vehicle so that her family may be granted a little more freedom and mobility. By centering the novel on Ree, Woodrell ultimately challenges the assumption that cynicism, ruthlessness, and violence are necessary for survival in a harsh world and suggests instead that true strength stems from an unselfish love for others, an unwillingness to compromise one’s beliefs, and the ability to dream of a better life.
