Bastard Out Of Caroline Analysis

This epigraph to Dorothy Allison’s Bastard Out of Caroline gives us insight to the story and guides us in the direction to show us the importance of the story. The quote “People pay for what they do, and still more, for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it simply: by the lives they lead.”- James Baldwin symbolizes a lot throughout this story. Although we all wanted justice in the end, it isn’t what we got.
This quote tends to be directed towards many people throughout this story. Including Anney, someone who deserved justice, but we ended up disliking her at the end of it all. “People pay for what they do, and still more,” this is directed towards Anney because she paid for what she did, had sex at the age of 15
She was a widow, grieving over the loss of her husband which made Glen the perfect rebound. He was very sweet to Anney and she was kind to him as well. But once he gotten used to Bone always being number one in Anney’s life, he realized he had to do something in order to be in charge of the house and everyone’s lives. “People pay for what they do, and still more,” can be related to Glen because he sexually abuses, mistreats, and beats Bone. He pays for what he’s done when her uncles beat him and out him in the hospital. “For what they have allowed themselves to become.” Throughout this story he doesn’t get much sympathy. He didn’t get much attention from his father, which most would say it’s why he lacks respects for women and doesn’t take responsibility for his own actions. His actions may be because he’s the least successful out of all his family. He allows himself to become a terrible person based on how his father treated him. He’s constantly out of work because he has the competition of his brothers and father constantly in his mind. Although, I have no sympathy for him because he is an adult. Furthermore, I do suggest that he has a mental issue wrong with him because he lashes out randomly. And they pay for it simply: by the lives they lead.” He simply pays for what he does once he gets beat up by Bone’s uncles, they find out she’s been getting beaten on and molested. The life he is leading isn’t very appealing. He can’t maintain a decent job to provide for the family and takes his anger out on them as well. Overall, in this story, he is a terrible