Wow been researching for other books that feature women taking care of themselves after having been left to their own devises - almost impossible - the story reminded me some of Gone With The Wind as Scarlett O'Hara is left to her own devises after she was 'abandoned' so to speak by Ashley but attracts another a man who after the birth of their child is abandoned again and she takes of charge of rebuilding after Atlanta was burned more love triangle but the whole of Scarlett's taking care of herself is to attract a man - the goal for her as a women is not self-sufficiency and generosity.
In literature girls don't take road-trips to find themselves; they take trips to find men and so the movie Thelma and Louise was a real ground breaker.
Joan I had not seen that but yes, the difference between a nomadic life and a settled life however, I'm thinking there is still abandonment and loss in a settled life - I guess I am seeking women that have the pluck of these two - yes, it is written as self-preservation but it is pluck since all that we read this tradition usually means death.
Even A Room of Her Own there is a sadness - she does lament " women must have a fixed income and a room of their own in order to have the freedom to create." However, not much role modeling how to do that much less, it is about someone pursuing a big talent and she makes the choice, she is not abandoned. Is this story one of the few that shows women taking care of themselves in adverse situations having been left by society?
I'm thinking how often women are widowed and must do it alone, some with few financial resources - how often women are alone because their family have major issues with drink or drugs, so that if they loose their job while alone they have a real struggle - bottom line, how often do we read of a women alone who makes a success out of not only her life but builds something.
We have bio's about men who, if they marry it is secondary to their already having achieved some success like, Steve Jobs... wait we can go all the way back to Jesus, St. Paul, Leonardo Di Vinci, Issac Newton - where as, describing woman that have achieved some success that could be a role model there is Joan of Arc, burned at the stake, Emily Dickinson, who always in her description is the phrase, never married. We know she was cared for by close to family, never abandoned. And, Mother Teresa, now come on, must women be saints giving of herself - Look at the pluck of these two ladies who use their skills to save the group who abandoned them - a far better role model.
I am thinking of us today - many of us are single having essentially been abandoned when a spouse dies - however, society essentially abandons us, we are not considered relevant and we are not an active force in society or in some cases in our family. What do we contribute - that seems to be the message here.
Interesting, the very skill that was not replaced when the two woman were abandoned is the very skill they use to create abundance and the very skill the impoverished group needed when they were re-connected - is that the message for elders - not to give up our essential skills because if society does not think they are needed they may not realize yet what is important?
OK I am getting ahead of myself - need to re-read - I am still struck at how well the stark surroundings in the first two chapters is almost a third character shining a spotlight on their feelings and how well those feelings were handled.
Oh dear, should not get political but cannot help thinking how the Hillary voters are feeling exactly as these two elder women when they were abandoned - so many Hillary voters feel they were abandoned by others that either did not vote or did not support or or or... my guess is - loss and abandonment is tied in one knot.
I wonder if the description of the two women during their loss to the group is the way anyone else felt during a big loss in life? And can anyone think of a heroine in any book that is left on her own, that alone or with a female friend who is also alone, successfully takes care of themselves...
