Thinking Deeper: Ellen Foster

                There are many questions about the novel Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons that are open for exploration. First of all, the question “why does Ellen like painting so much?” has many possible interpretations. Personally, I think Ellen likes to paint because it is a way of expression and getting her thoughts out in the open.  It is obvious from the chaotic writing style used by Gibbons that Ellen cannot differentiate her thoughts from reality. Painting is a way for her to say her thoughts and how she feels, without having to talk.

                Another burning question is “why does Ellen’s view of Starletta change from the beginning of the book to the end?”  I feel that Ellen’s view went from seeing Starletta in a discriminatory way, to just seeing Starletta for the person she was. In the beginning, Ellen said she would never eat a “colored” biscuit, even if she was starving. However, in the last chapter, Ellen invited Starletta over for a sleepover; her new mama even sewed the letter “S” into towels for Starletta to use and feel special! I feel that as Ellen changed, her views did, too. Ellen was pushed from house to house, and I believe that humbled her. She was exposed to hatred from her mama’s mama, and I think Ellen realized that evil is bestowed within someone’s personality, not their color.

                Lastly, the question “how does Ellen’s new dress represent the start of a new life for her?” Growing up, Ellen never had anything nice. The only nice presents she ever received were bought by her for herself. I think that that dress makes Ellen feel so special because it makes her feel worth something. The dress makes her feel proud, instead of hiding her life like she does for most of her childhood.

How Ellen Foster Was Forced to Grow Up

 

            We all mature in different ways and at different times. Most people mature naturally and are not forced into adult duties prematurely. However, that is not the case with Ellen Foster. First of all, her mother was in and out of the hospital, which means Ellen had nobody to take care of her during her mother’s absence. Her alcoholic father made it even harder for her to be without her mother, considering that he did was sit around and drink all day, instead of taking care of his every day responsibilities. Not only was her mother in and out of the hospital, but she unfortunately passed away. This means that Ellen had nobody left to take care of her besides herself. In addition, she also was exposed to an overwhelmingly traumatic event. Ellen not only has nobody left, but now she views the world in a darker, sadder state because she was exposed to death. This event will also force her to be worried about adult responsibilities, such as bills and feeding herself, which no eleven year old should be worried about. I am fifteen and I don’t even know how to pay bills, so it is unimaginable to me that an eleven year old did it. Basically, Ellen is the coolest kid ever because she can take care of herself and gets stuff done. However, this could also mean she is the saddest and the loneliest.

Did George Do the Right Thing?

            The ending of John Steinbeck’s novella titled Of Mice and Men is a very controversial topic. To sum it up, George ends up shooting Lennie, his best friend, in the back of the head. His motive was kind; he did not want Lennie to suffer. If George did not shoot Lennie, other men would have killed him for a crime that Lennie committed. This crime was killing Curley’s wife. If the other men did not kill Lennie for the crime he committed, then he could have been experimented on due to the fact that he was impaired mentally. Scientists at the time were trying to figure out what made some people impaired like Lennie, so he was in constant danger. Personally, I do think that George killed Lennie out of kindness. If George wasn’t the one to do it, then Lennie would have suffered immense pain. Also, it’s not like George wanted to kill him. They were best friends, and George was sacrificing his own guilt and loneliness to save Lennie from suffering. In addition, George made sure that Lennie was in his happiest state of mind right before he died. George was telling Lennie about the rabbits and the farm they could own, which made Lennie happy. Earlier in the book, the readers got a sneak peek into Lennie’s mind and saw how he thought. It was filled with hallucinations, which was a part of his mental illness. He would see and hear things that were not really there, like his dead Aunt Clara and a talking rabbit. This is an important detail because in chapter six, right before he was shot, George told him something about their farm. George said “Look down there acrost the river, like you can almost see the place.” This makes me wonder. Because Lennie actually has hallucinations, did he see the farm? Did George tell him to look for the farm because he knew Lennie would imagine it, and that he would finally get to see their farm before he died? I may never know the answers to any of these questions, but I do know for sure that George killed Lennie out of the kindness of his heart.

Of Mice and Men Compared to "Umbrella" by Rihanna

                     In the novella Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, a topic that is greatly explored is friendship. We can see how the two main characters, named George and Lennie, each depend on one another. They are always there for each other and could not survive on their own. This topic of friendship reminded me of a song I used to listen to when I was in elementary school called "Umbrella" by Rihanna. This is a song about being there for friends when they need you. More specifically, this song is about being there for each other during bad times. George and Lennie lived during the Great Depression, which was definitely considered as a hard time for all of America. No matter how many jobs that Lennie caused George to lose due to his crazy antics, George would never consider leaving Lennie to be on his own. Friendship can be a very broad and open subject, but I truly believe that Umbrella captures everything that Of Mice and Men is conveying to the reader. A couple lyrics from Umbrella that really remind me of Of Mice and Men are:

“When the sun shines, we'll shine together

Told you I'd be here forever

Said I'll always be a friend
Now that it's raining more than ever
You can stand under my umbrella.”