One thing that I have found that is interesting throughout this book is Sam's relationship with Emmett. Up to this point, Sam does not view Emmett as someone in authority or higher up than her, but as a friend, and sometimes even as his caretaker.
This was especially interesting to me do to the fact that she has grown up without a father, which would lead the reader to believe through the first few pages that Emmett took on a father figure for Sam.
It is almost the exact opposite, Sam always seems to be the one looking out for Emmett as opposed to vice versa. Sam is the one who finally gets Emmett to go and see about his sores on his face. Sam thought that "Emmett . . . must know he had cancer," while he was "laughing" on their way to the skin doctor. The whole way their Emmett just joked around with Lonnie and Sam, but Sam was very worried but "glad we finally got him here (to the doctor)" (69 & 70).
This trait of Sam's allows us to truly realize how mature she is. She is basically taking care of her uncle who is an unemployed veteran while her mother ran off with her new step-father to raise a new child and start a new life for herself. I think that it will be interesting to see how the relationship between Sam and her uncle develops throughout this book, and see where this maturity that Sam has developed brings her.
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6 comments:
I really never saw the fact that Emmett was supposed to be her uncle, I mean it was mentioned in the text, but from their relationship without knowing that information I can easily see how a reader could get confused in the roles these two characters are playing and what they should be playing.
I'd say the whole situation shows just how hard the adjustment it is for these veterans who returned home. Of all the changes that took place while they were gone, one of the hardest must have been the effect on their family lives. These men left as mentors to their children and their nieces and nephews and some returned more helpless than the very kids who admired them.
I would have to disagree Megan. Throughout the book, it talks about how Emmett was Sam's mother's brother. But I do understand that if all family information was left out of the book, how one might be confused. This does bring out the fact that returning home is very hard for these veterans. Emmett seems to be constantly trying to relive his experience in Vietnam through watching MASH. This seems like Emmett's main source of coping with his after war problems.
See I thought the exact same thing at the beginning of the story, that Emmett acted as a father figure for Sam since she didn't have one but more of a distant figure it seemed. There's only so much love and attention a beat up army brat can provide right? Then we see the opposite is true and that she has to care more for him. That's also another good point, where does she get this maturity from. It would be expected from a girl of her background to have a low maturity level and to get into trouble because she has had no support but she acts as if she's been part of a loving supporting family her whole life. WEIRD!
I really feel that Sam's whole situation almost forced her to grow up and mature. She grows up without a father, her mom leaves with some well-to-do new husband, and she's left to fend for herself and take care of her veteran uncle who's unresponsible and unreliable. People in those situations are usually forced to grow up quickly just because of the necessity for maturity.
Cory, I can see how you misinterpreted my comment because I did not give too much back up reasoning. However, what I should have said is that I was agreeing with your post in that fact that Emmett most certainly does not act as if he is the "adult in the relationship". More than that he acts as if him and Sam are just good buddies rather than him as a role model for her.
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