English 1100
5 September 2016
Prof. Young
Friendswood 1-30
In Friendswood, there are multiple main characters that are brought up in the text. The first characters brought up in the story are Lee, Jess, and Jack living together in Rosemont. Even though the story is in third person every event is told in the main character's point of view giving the reader the insight that the character is essential to the plot. Also each main character is given a chapter that describes who they are as a person. In the reading thus far, Jess and Jack did not have a chapter but they were such an influential force in Lee's life that the reader is given the impression that they are. Fourteen years before the story actually takes place Lee, Jess, and Jack are portrayed as a loving caring family. During the flashback, Jack shows a deep concern of Jess as she went to go ride the horse around Banes Field. However Lee is able to "win him over" while she "rubbed her thumb over his calloused palm" as they sat looking at Jess riding over the field (Steineke XIII). With the description of Jack's hand, the reader can infer that his job requires him to do manual labor. This inference is enforced when he "brought home trinkets he thought she'd [Lee] like" (26).
Within the flashback and in Lee's second chapter there is textual insight of Jess that almost perfectly describes her. Jess is described as having "sweet, curious eyes" which is shown through her eagerness to ride the horse in the beginning of the book and the gentleness she has while riding it (26). She "even tried to be good" giving the reader the understanding that she has her flaws but is generally a good person (26). However, she got really sick and eventually died from the toxic chemicals in the field she would go to be by herself.
Although the vocal character varies from chapter to chapter the reader is able to read more about Lee than any other character. Lee's childhood was described to be one that was very gloomy from "her mom's drunken fits" to her "sporadic, shameful poverty" (26). However her personal life turned around with Jack and Jess as well as her living situation. Lee finally had people she could trust and be comfortable living with. She was also involved within the community as she went to her neighbors backyard to socialize after Jess finished riding the horse. Lee had what most people would consider the 'American Dream', although it had not lasted for long. In 2007, Lee was living by herself doing work in Banes Field to show that the field is overrun with toxic chemicals. Her life is very sporadic as some days she does not have enough time to eat on a regular schedule. Lee is consumed by finding the evidence of the chemicals in the field that killed her daughter, which is what most likely what drove Jack away from their marriage as it became too burdensome.
Hal, on the other hand, is confident that his whole life passed him by. To begin, he is a bad realtor, which is shown when he "officially gave up" on a couple he was showing a house too when things were not going his way (12). Hal also "knew if he was to keep making a living at this, then he had to find another strategy," this gives the impression that he is not satisfied with what he is doing and desperately needs a change of pace (13). To make things even worse, "he no longer felt like the son who'd got the blessing and more like the one who's been cast out" (13). Hal just feels like the life he was meant to have is not the one is living so he has a bitter perception towards the world. That belief is enforced with his friend Avery who is doing so much better than he is at the moment. Reflecting on this fact it made his hand "move into a fist" and "the muscles in his legs tighten," while sitting in the restaurant (15). Hal also has a son, Cully, of who he is jealous of since Cully could do things that Hal could never do at his age, thus causing him to live through his son in a way. Although Cully is not a major character yet he could grow into a major character with his relation with Hal and the fact that Willa has a crush on him.
The last major character as of this point is Willa. When Rene Steineke introduced Willa she was having hallucinations about seeing objects or people that were not there. Dani, Willa's good friend, is the only one who she is confident about telling her hallucinations to, even out of her own family and that might be for a reason. Her father and her were really close as they used to go out for runs in the morning. However there turned out to be some tension between them because after his hours changed they did not make any effort to make room for running again. Although they talked about running a marathon together in the future when they were really close. Eventually, he could not look at her in the eyes "as if it somehow embarrassed him" (23). It became more apparent when Willa went down to dinner wearing devil horns and her dad basically got hurt by her wearing them. This could mean that something sinful happened between them and he does not want anyone to know causing him to have such a reaction to her headwear.
Rosemont, a neighborhood of Friendswood, is described in two times, the past and the present. In the past Rosemont was just the typical suburban neighborhood that anyone would see around the United States with nothing to suspect. Fast forward a decade and it turned into a wasteland. Lee went back to Rosemont and saw the remnants of her neighborhood with everything covered in foliage and a "rusted metal triangle on the ground that claimed NO PARKING BEYOND THIS POINT" (8). Friendswood is not a place that anyone is living in the present time of the book because of the permanent affects of the chemical waste had on the residents.
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