Kaye Gibbons Novels Essay Research Paper Innocence

Kaye Gibbons Novels Essay, Research Paper

Innocence, happiness, success, and optimism, are all characteristics of human kind. A cure for cancer is superior to the elimination of physical abuse and suicidal death’s. A result to have all people treated equally appreciated and loved. Is it a possible gesture? It may not happen in our lifetime, but if powerful and caring individuals join forces, it is possible to draw conclusions. To live the dreams and allusions each identity performs and has a reality to people and society. Within the three novels, Ellen Foster, A Virtuous Woman, and A Cure for Dreams, all written by the author Kaye Gibbons, each character from different novels struggles to face reality and find the correct path that will lead them to the right direction in life. While coping with the endless pain, Ellen, Jack, and Betty have only hope to lead them into the direction they encounter to approach. A fate in their lives can change forever. In addition, keep their “depressing days” only a memory so that they will become successful. All characters are determined to overcome their obstacles and misery through hope, courage, and inspiration.

Throughout Kaye Gibbon’s novels, each unified character portrays a resemblance to overcome their obstacles through hope. In Gibbon’s first novel, Ellen Foster the main character, Ellen a young child struggles to survive and live a normal childhood. Making matters worse, Ellen’s father was a drunken alcoholic who physically abuses her mother and sexually harasses his own daughter. As a result, Ellen’s mother commits suicide and her father dies from over dosage. As her, own parents abandon their precious child; Ellen was alone in search of a new home and family. As hope motivates Ellen to seek forward and find her new home she begins to believe what an ideal family would be like, “I had not figured out how to go about getting one for the most part, but I had a feeling it could be got, (Gibbons 67)”. Similar in Ellen’s case, in Gibbon’s second novel A Virtuous Woman, Jack is in search to regain himself after a heartbreak loss to his wife Ruby who died several months prior from lung cancer. Jack is an old farmer and relied heavily towards Ruby. He is now left on his own, he acknowledges that only hope may lead him back on his tracks and leave all the crucial memories behind. Things became clear to Jack when he was welcomed to live with his friend Burr. Burr had most of the influence on Jack to achieve hope, happiness, and leave the depressing stages of his life only a memory in his mind. Having all that in mind, Jack acknowledges that fact and proudly voices to Burr about Ruby, “I told him it was a shame in this world he couldn’t have had a woman like Ruby, and he just had to shake his head like ‘I know’, (Gibbons 93)”. As well, another resemblance of hope to cope with life in a struggling situation, Gibbons third novel, A Cure for Dreams portrays a protagonist named Betty who retells the story of her mother’s life. As she’s brought up from a poor family, Betty has hope that one day she will surpass her mother’s and her own dreams that will once become a reality. From there Betty dreams of the wonderful things she may encounter along her path, and she begins with a dream, “The man in her one dream would ride up and surprise her on his horse, and then would reach down and take the ball of honour… (Gibbons 21).”

Another similarity each character composes to cope with their struggle for survival is through courage. All protagonists are enforced to excel through self-motivation and confidence to remain in tact and focused to complete their heroic venture. In Ellen Foster, Ellen is raised to become a courageous child after witnessing her mother’s death and outrageous lifestyle her father set her. It seemed as if she was prepared for a type of occasion where she would find herself alone independent. As evidence to prove her courageous acts she stands wide and tall next to her aunt and cousin with such aggravating words. “That is when I told her I thought she was the crazy one. That she and Dora had told each other so many lies about the way the world worked that they believed them. You two are bumping around in this house lost and foolish over each other. You two are the same as the people who would not believe the world was round… (Gibbons 114)”. On the other hand, Jack gains courage by believing in himself and what he thought Ruby would think was best for him. He had faith for himself and that was the main opposition, which kept him stride towards success. Although he lost his only love, he conducted courageous acts that led him to another level. A level where he beholds only memories rather than suffering, and in the end, he finds himself in love with a different woman. At last, in Betty’s scenario, she was born with faith and courage, which was passed to her from generations. As she was provided with the qualities to exceed the great depression, Betty had a difficult and courageous decision to make. To move overseas and believe in herself that she could make it through and return with happiness and success. Things tend to lean towards Betty’s direction as she successfully manages to overcome her adversity in life.

Finally, similar characteristic protagonists present upon themselves in order to achieve success and self-assurance was through another individual’s inspiration. Each character acknowledges at one point in