CRITICAL ESSAYS
Rakan Algahtani
"Esch, The Lost Childhood" is an argument that describes the struggle, which Esch faced in her childhood in Salvage the Bones. My argument mainly focuses on the aspect of Esch's psychological status and how the factors of being in a motherless household, being born into poverty, and being an African American in a white–dominated culture affected her personality.
Sydney Brangenberg
"'I'll See If I Can Salvage Anything!:' A Look at Jesmyn Ward and Salvage the Bones" is an essay that looks at Jesmyn Ward's life and experiences growing up. Then, based off of those experiences, it looks at the connections between her life and the book. This essay uses these connections to infer the importance of Ward's work and what the reader can take out of that message.
Kyle Brown
"I Am Woman, Hear Me Bark: An Analysis of Esch's Womanhood in Salvage the Bones" explores the ways that Esch, as a lone female surrounded by males, must navigate her way to womanhood and how she does so by compiling all of the lessons she learns. From her brothers' protectiveness to her father's dual parenting roles, from China's bark to Medea's wrath, Esch comes to a conclusion about what her definition of womanhood is and places herself on a masculinity/femininity spectrum through the events of Jesmyn Ward's novel. The aim of my analysis is to discuss how Esch comes to her conclusion on what womanhood is and to explore the implications of where she stands in relation to a spectrum of masculinity and femininity based upon that definition of womanhood.
Bryce Cherry
"Make Them Know: An Analysis of Skeetah, a Boy Dealing with the Loss of his Mother" analyzes two of the behaviors we see Skeetah exhibit in Salvage the Bones. Skeetah fears commitment, yet holds the current women in his life extra close. Both of these behaviors stem from the loss of his mother, as well as the fact that he is left with a father that does not parent.
Maddy Delano
"Brothers and Sister: An Analysis of the Influences on Esch in Salvage the Bones" closely examines how being surrounded by men has affected Esch's character, specifically the way she looks at sex and relationships. This essay also looks into the effect that China and Medea have had on Esch's personality. Throughout the novel, she wants to become a strong force, and the people around her both help and hinder this desire. All of this begs the question, does she become the person she wants to be?
Laney Haupert
"A Boy and His Dog: An Analysis on Skeetah's Relationship with China and Esch in Salvage the Bones" is about the relationships between Skeetah and the female figures in his life: Esch, Mama, and China. It explores the idea that Skeetah is a product of his experience and how all of his experiences influence his relationship with these women that are most important to him. The essay also covers why Skeetah is so deeply affected by these women and why he cares for them so much by going into a psychoanalysis of his past.
Austin Jesse
"Mr. Claude, Nice of You to Join Us" argues that Daddy is much more than just a secondary character in Salvage the Bones. He is a person who is affected by the weight of the world. If we can view him as a person, we can begin to understand him a little better and view him less as an alcoholic deadbeat father, and more as a person who has had a rough life, and is struggling with his current situation.
Logan Mclaskey
Throughout "Are You Feeling It Now, Mr. Claude?: A Psychoanalytic Look at Daddy, His Humanity, and How He Knows Best," I discuss the development of Daddy, or Mr. Claude's character, through the eyes of his children, especially Esch. The reader sees the world through Esch's eyes and because of that forced perspective the reader does not get to see very much of Daddy, but there is much more to him than meets the eye. Daddy is constantly developing throughout the novel, but it is very hard to be picked out by the reader because it is hidden behind the events and development of the other characters within the novel. All the reader's experiences involving Daddy are very human and must be broken down deeper if there is hope to understand the choices that Daddy makes during the preparation and duration of Hurricane Katrina. Discussion and analysis of Daddy's character through the psychoanalytic lens is important because Daddy's choices affect the rest of the novel, and the characters as well. Through the psychoanalytic lens these choices are justified and explained.
Mikayla Mendenhall
"Esch: Giving Voice to Silent Suffering" explores the themes of poverty in Jesmyn Ward's novel Salvage the Bones as seen through the lens of Marxist theory. Salvage the Bones is a fictionalized telling of a poor, African American family in the deep South at the time Hurricane Katrina struck. Poverty has an effect on every character, whether it be direct or indirect. The application of Marxist theory to this novel is not simply for the purpose of exploring themes in literature, but also the world in which Salvage the Bones is set. Through this research, larger themes of poverty in America are unearthed and offered up for discussion.
Sam Miller
The evolution of the feminist movement throughout the years has shaped not only the ways we think about feminism, but the ways we write about it. "Make Them Know: Esch's Feminist Journey in Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones" takes a look at how the post-feminist era shapes and affects Esch Batiste's growth throughout the novel in a way that combats the idea of a single narrative for womanhood. It also takes a look at how Esch finds herself through her circumstances and begins to form her identity based on what she knows and what she learns throughout the course of the novel.
Emily Nielsen
In Salvage the Bones, by Jesmyn Ward, there are many instances where we see Esch's family hindered from society because of their poverty level. "Us vs. Them: A Look at Marxist Theory through Salvage the Bones" argues that, while the poverty of the Claude family is in no way the central motivation of the story, Ward's characters react in their situation the way they do because of their material status. The book narrates their fight against what society deems them to be. It explains Esch trying to find her place without a female role model to depend on. It shows Skeetah trying to escape his current life with China, while simultaneously leaving his family behind to pursue his goal, ultimately showing that greed and the motivation to have power are too strong for him to stay behind for the sake of his father and siblings. Finally, Randall tries to escape their home with a basketball scholarship, his entire life being dependent on how well he can play. Every character's purpose is about bettering their own lives, to rise above what they were given at birth.
Kara Niles
Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones is the story of a young African American girl, Esch, in the deep south and those around her in the few days leading up to Hurricane Katrina. The novel explores poverty, race, and feminism. In my critical essay, entitled "Salvage the Girl: One Girl's Journey to Motherhood," I explore Esch's world in hopes of finding the role models that help her in her journey to finding womanhood and motherhood, and ask why Ward would choose to write about a black, pregnant, impoverished teen during the hurricane that changed the American South.
Claire Schmidt
In "I'm a Big Girl Now: Esch's Journey to Womanhood," readers will get to explore the different ways in which Esch grows up throughout the novel. Using different critical theories, including African American theory and Feminist theory, Esch's coming of age is told through the stories of her family and what they have taught her within her life. Esch battles social problems such as racism, teen pregnancy, and poverty in order to become a woman. She teaches girls what it is like to be a strong woman.