Bastard Out of Caroline
Dorothy Allison
Plot Line
Rising Action: Daughter tells her mom she stole candy from the corner store called Woolworth's
Climax: Daughter gets very angry at the worker in the store and her mood changes. Before this, she was being forgiving to her mom but then she turned stubborn to the worker.
Falling Action: Daughter gets very, very angry at the whole situation and it makes her want to steal more.
Resolution: She walks out of the store very mad with the rage still in her, making her want to continue stealing, even though she knows the consequence.
Setting/Tone
"The lines in her face looked as deep as the rivers that flowed south toward Charleston." (page 76)
"Because it is in a small town and near a city, the tone is very rough and tough."
"Don't ever let me catch you stealing." (page 75)
Conflict
"It was a hunger I felt then, raw and terrible, a shaking deep down inside me, as if my rage had used up everything I had ever seen." (page 81)
External conflict in this story is how the daughter had a strong hatred towards the store keeper.
"I felt outraged. I wanted to kick him or throw up on him or scream his name on the street." (page 80)
Figurative Language
"I could feel the heat from mama's hand through my blouse, and I knew she was never going to come near this place again, was never going to let herself stand in the same room with that honey-greased bastard." (page 80)
THEME: IF YOU DO SOMETHING BAD OR WRONG, YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THE CONSEQUENCES.
Characters
The storekeeper is a major character in this short story especially at the end. He gets very angry at the daughter because of the stealing incident. The author uses direct characterization to show that he is a honey-greased bastard. This means he is very mean and the daughter thinks he is jerk.