Thursday, July 7, 2011
The Scarecrow
I found the short story The Scarecrow interesting in many aspects. I felt that she was connected to her father in many ways including fulfilling the role of a son that the father wishes he would have had. The similarities between Joan and her father (not liking to be touched, and having their place outside of the home and in nature) showed the relationship between the two and not needing words. While the sisters of Joan made fun of her, maybe wishing they had that connection with their father also, Chattie did seem to stand up for Joan over and over. The character that Tony began was a very creepy character to me. It seemed that he forced his self on Joan, and in my opinion what happened that night was not exactly consent. The way I perceived that particular scene was that he accomplished what he was trying to do by having sex with Joan whether she liked it or not. The symbolism with Joan and the scarecrows, how the sister described her as bringing the crows in and then pushing them away was much related to how she treated Tony. The scene was very confusing due to that fact. The reader perceives that she was raped but there was some clues that might have pointed to it being consensual. Overall, Joan never seems to fit in with her mother and her sisters. It seems her place is outside with her father and even till the very end of the story her father stands up for her about the marriage saying she does not have to do anything she does not want to do.
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I agree somewhat. I thought it was very symbolic the way she made a different self (the scarecrow. I think that maybe she felt more at home if she could become the scarecrow and escape from the everyday life she had. I think that she was symbolic of the scarecrow and all the other people around her comprised of a large flock of crows. While she is able to save some of herself from them, she is unable to save the rest. As if her 'corn' was her body and soul in connection to nature. I think that in a way she was able to save her soul and keep it untainted but her body and mental health were wrecked by Tony, her sisters, and how her mother reacted on her coming home. i liked the story overall, although I wish some parts were not so ambiguous.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED The Scarecrow. I thought that the story itself was so interesting and well told. It reminded me of a story by Flannery O'Conner called The Life you Save May Be Your Own. They both deal with marrying off a daughter to someone, the only difference is in TLYSMBYO the man leaves the woman at a diner and drives off.
ReplyDeleteI thought that it was very brave for Joan to run back home after being married to this man. If I had been forced to marry I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing!!
I love that the writing style reflected the setting. They spoke as if they were a farm family.
I really enjoyed reading The Scarecrow, not because of the storyline necessarily, but mainly because of the writing style Roberts uses. In my opinion the over tone of the story was quite dark and elusive. There was nothing good that happened to Joan and nothing good that was said about her either. The narrative even implies that she is uncomfortable in her own skin. While reading this story I immediately assumed that Joan was autistic but of course this was never confirmed. She seems to be strange everyone, even to her sisters who ask the advice of a witch. I thought it was interesting how much Roberts used the word “blood” throughout this story to describe Joan. In the passage where Joan is singing and making up words to her own rhythm Roberts writes, “The words would fade and the blood would prevail.” Assuming the word “blood” refers to Joan, Roberts is implying Joan’s inner thoughts and imagery would never fade unlike her external presence. The word also comes up again when Joan and Tony are in the field together. Roberts writes, “Three smiles walked under the tent of shrinking skin and began to fondle the blood.” This is a very interesting way of describing a scene like this; it almost makes me cringe when I read it. However, this style of writing gives it an image that seems dark and sincere at the same time, which is why I enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was reading The Scarecrow, I did not enjoy it as much as I did when we discuss it in class. I felt like the ending could have had a little more detail to specify what happens to Joan. The first paragraph of the story reminded me of A White Heron because Joan was so close to the animals around her or at least she understood them, which relates back to A White Heron because Sylvia saved the heron from killing shot by the poacher. As the story goes on, it reminded of The Yellow Wallpaper because Joan was supposedly good or useful in the bed.
ReplyDeleteI did like how Joan was the son to her father that he never had. The father used Joan to scare the crows which was very important in the plot of the story. Joan and her father were very similar. I think the father knew how similar the two were and it enjoyed it, but just would not admit it because he did not like or know how to show his feelings (just like Joan).Joan almost reminded me of a child with autism because she did not like to be touched, which was very symbolic in the story. I think that Joan was a very sympathetic character after we discussed it in class because I never thought of her having autism or anything just because she did not liked to be touched. Also, the only part I liked about the ending was that her father stood up for Joan.
I understood this story better than many of the other stories we have read this semester. The symbolism with Joan is very effective in that it shows that the crows always come back to their comfort place, the same way Joan returns home at the end of the story. I TOTALLY agree with Megan on the Autistic diagnosis. It would never have been perceived as a mental illness during the time in which this story was written, however, even her sisters seem to realize that something just wasn't right with Joan. The omnipotence of the narrator seems to know that Joan is "different" and this can be seen by lines such as, "she touched the eggs with her thought." I didn't understand it then, and I still can't grasp the physical image of touching or feeling something with a thought. Joan was of one accord with nature as we all were once according to the book of Genesis. However, like in Genesis, her innocence was contaminated by society. Afterwards, as Joan seems to want to return to her "Eden", she is met with neglect and disdain. The only merciful voice of support is her (creator) father, who (like Adam and Eve's creator)welcomes her with open arms back home with a deleted memory of her recent stray.
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