Summer- Response

I read what Trinity wrote and I was pleased that she chose different passages then my own, and ones that I must have glanced over without really thinking about at first look. The first passage she mentioned was the one about North Dormer in comparison to the rest of the world. Charity wondered how the rest of the world viewed North Dormer, and how it fit in with the rest of the world. She was hungry for information on what was outside her own town and for awhile she read every book she could get her hands on and then she just stopped. Trinity drew comparisons with North Dormer and the small town she was from. I can relate to this, but in a sort of differnt fashion. I'm from St. Charles, not really a small town, but it is true what they say about St. Charles, everyone is either distantly related to everyone or they know everyone. It has that small town feel, without really being a small town. I can see how the comparisons between small town life and city life are important throughout the rest of the novel. It is the big city that gets Charity in trouble, and it reverberates back on her town life. The gossip lovers of a small town and the "behind closed doors" attitudes that these gossip lovers practice. Everybody knows everybody's business, but they won't say it to your face, because its not really their place. I think small towns are hilarious, and very homey. I liked that the story was set in a small town with the little ol' gossip bittys.
The other passage she chose was about Liff Hyatt and how Charity wasn't afraid of him. I didn't think of Shadrack, the character from Sula, when I was reading about Liff. I don't know how I didn't though. It is a great comparison. They're both social outcasts in the town, but they dont' seem to be aware or if they are they don't care. It's how they are and they're fine with it. I think the fact the Liff was from the mountain, just like Charity, is kind of an important fact when you delve into the relationship/interaction between the two of them. Charity questions her heritage and so questions her association with Liff. This relationship also made me think of the poem "When I was growing up," again. Both Charity and the main character from the poem wanted to fit in and be like the others, yet they had this one very fundamental and unchangeable "flaw," if you will, that prevented this. I think this self doubt that Charity has influences her actions in the rest of the book. She is so drawn to Harney because he loves where she's from, something she is very insecure about, this likeness he has for the mountain people helped to influence the relationship that festers between the two of them. I say fester because it was like a bad sore that looks fine at first, set ends up getting infected and festering. It was bad news.