preview

Leaving Gilead Character Analysis

Decent Essays

The Neglected Child In the novella, Leaving Gilead by Pat Carr, she introduces us to the Birdsong family. The father, Ian is off fighting in the Civil War and Geneva, his wife, is at home with their 8-year old daughter, Saranell. Death can be traumatizing for the people who are experiencing it in their lives, but being emotionally unstable can affect the people around them. ‘It is better to lose a parent through death then through emotional abandonment. “Since I have this wretched cold, and since your father’s the one who enjoys holidays and he's nowhere in sight, I'm not going to wear myself out with Christmas this year… her pale hand shooed Saranell into the hall. Go make those paper flowers of yours and have one of the servants bring in the tree if you want, but I've got to save what little strength I have”(Carr 93). Geneva was unwilling to help her only daughter decorate their house for Christmas, she wanted nothing involved with her 8-year old child. Geneva was at a state where she could not get out of the bed due to her in denial mindset. Saranell was heartbroken that her mother was “sick” and wasn't going to assist her to decorate, as she could see by her mother’s actions. Geneva couldn't cope with her problems or the struggle she was facing. Geneva wouldn't admit them and this caused her to take her feelings out on Saranell. “I can't stay on this dull house another minute. And I refuse to miss one more holiday party” (Carr 95). Geneva claimed she was

Get Access