Saturday, May 4, 2013
Mrs. McEachern
With all the commotion occurring in Jefferson, it's easy to forget about the other characters that played a significant roll in past. We left Ms. McEachern alone without anyone to help her through the death of her husband or even to support her financially. In your opinion, what became of her? Do you think she was able to overcome her insecurities and start anew? Or did she fall into a downward spiral?
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What I wanted for her was to overcome her submissive nature. I don't think it can necessarily be what happened to her. She had been living like that all of her life and I believe she kept that path because she had no other choice. Her character is very tragic, compared to what we see in Lena. I would have wanted every woman to be like Lena.
ReplyDeleteMrs. McEachern stands in her tyrannical husband's shadow. She desperately wants to establish some bond with her adopted son but can't think of any way other than offering him little favors, which he rejects as if they were bribes.Because she lived in the same manner for so long i don't think she was able to break free from her husbands influence. In the novel its says that its like the ghost of her husband was still governing her. I think it was a downward spiral after Joe left.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bethany. After for living a certain way for so long, her life style became habit and I don't think she would've been able to break away from it.
DeleteHer character was someone who was easy to walk over and boss around; she felt the need to do as everyone said. So, I think even though her husband was now dead, she would still try to do as he had said and continue in her old life style.
I believe she's referring to the fact that Lena was strong enough to fight for what she wanted (which at the time was Lucas). When things didn't work out for her, she still pushed forward and started anew with Byron. She never gave up. Whereas Mrs. McEachern became submissive as Bethany mentioned and let her husband push her around and dictate her actions. Basically, Lena displayed far more courage than Mrs. McEachern and many other women in that time period.
ReplyDeleteI disagree. Athough it is true that Mrs.McEachern was a submissive character when we met her, I think she has the ability to change and take action from her own initiative. Following her husband's death, I think she would have been FORCED to take on a new character, one that would allow her to go out and support herself financially. I think she will also have become hardened by the experience and by Christmas' virtual abandonment to the point where she would become independent and not have to have any social ties to anyone but herself.
ReplyDeleteGiven how women in this novel will show "kindness without being kind," I think a family might take her in or move in with her. You are correct in thinking she may still play the submissive role, as many abused women fall into a pattern.
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