Response 4: Ecology of a Cracker Childhood

I found this book to be, on the whole, a fairly enjoyable read.  The alternating narratives took some getting used to, for me--at first I felt like they didn't converge at all--but as the book moved forward (and it moved rather quickly), I fell so in love with Ray's descriptions of her childhood and the characters themselves that I really didn't care when a chapter about the longleaf pine interrupted the personal story, because I trusted that it was important and going somewhere--because I was already elated.  I was fascinated by the idea of growing up in a junkyard (and consequently, the idea of producing nature writing from that, because it's not a predictable location in any sense--still rural, yet boxed in by the broken down parts of civilization).  It was also interesting to see how the idea of survival played a part throughout the book--in terms of living in poverty (or near poverty) and the longleaf pine--how in a way, Ray's family and the pine went through similar struggles.

Ray's writing style is self-assured and at times rambling--however, though I was initially caught by this, I think it evokes a child's voice and perspective quite well, whether or not that was the intent.  At times she shifts conversation quickly, as if she is a child out of breath, trying to tell us all about her day.  As with Gift and Abbey, Ray utilizes humor as a means of engaging with her readers, as well as a storytelling tone that puts us at ease and allows us to feel the emotion in the narrative.  She had a way of drawing me in through her stories, and not letting me leave--though her descriptions were also vivid and she utilized language quite well at times.  One of my favorite one-liners, just at the beginning of the book (on p. 12), was "strikes of lightning that tore clouds open like paper bags."  All these things taken together propelled me through the story, and I was able to continue reading without feeling bogged down or bored.

I was fascinated by the birth myth, which was often treated as if it were true, while other times blatantly ignored--yet throughout, Ray described herself as having been "found"--something easy to interpret multiple ways.  This, and the fact that she spent a lot of time talking about things from others' viewpoints, made me wonder about her reliability as a narrator.  However, at the same time, I understand the value of the emotional truth in nonfiction, as well as the fact that much of her childhood revolved around imagination and storytelling.  Also, it was clear that she was told many stories by her relatives.  While it's likely Ray embellished these stories with her own details, I'm okay with that, because when you get right down to it the truth of this story is what Ray feels in her surroundings, in her past.  She didn't need to prove anything to me, because the truth was in what we already knew to be true--her first-hand encounters, which strengthened the stories she told of those other than herself.  I think these stories were important, because although Ray did not experience much of it first-hand, she was influenced by the chain-reaction these events caused, by what she knew of her family, and by the act of storytelling itself.  I believe that's what's important here.

Looking forward to the presentation, and discussing this in class.