When we are first introduced to Uncle Teardrop in the novel, he is presented as a tough, unforgiving man. We learn that he is heavily invested in the crank business and even damaged his ear and melted his neck for it (23). When Ree asks about what happens to her father Jessup, Teardrop tells her to back off and not pursue the matter before she gets hurt (25). He tells Ree, “Jessup’n me run together for nigh on forty years-- but I don’t know where he’s at, and I ain’t goin’ to go around askin’ after him, neither” (26). After he tells her this, he yanks her hair and physically assaults her by jerking her around. From this interaction, it is hard to tell if Uncle Teardrop actually cares about Ree’s safety or just does not want trouble. It is also doubtful if he even cares about his brother Jessup. He certainly prioritizes safety rather than getting revenge blood. Later on, he shows compassion for Ree by telling her about Jessup’s car being found and gives her the advice to sell the Bromont timber. He even gives her a little money to live on (112). When Ree gets beaten by the Thumps, Teardrop shows up to protect her. He acknowledges that Jessup deserves what came to him, but vouches for Ree saying she does not deserve to be punished, calling her the only close family he has left. He claims that whatever wrong she does, he will take responsibility--to get to her, they need to get through him (137). Through Teardrop accepting his brother’s fate, it is revealed that the Dolly moral code to never snitch is very important. If one breaks that rule, then you become cast out of the family and disregarded. He mentions to Ree that this code has been steeped in tradition for many years and that “the Dollys around here can’t be seen to coddle a snitch’s family” (150). Teardrop tries not to be concerned about Jessup’s fate or get emotionally charged up about it, but he tells Ree not to tell him the name of the killer because he [Teardrop] will want to avenge his brother. Near the end, Teardrop stands up for his brother by intensely questioning Baskin about how Jessup’s snitching was discovered (173). He also stands up for Ree by destroying the car of a man who said something bad about her (169). I believe that Teardrop, even in his crank-addictive, violent ways, teaches Ree a valuable lesson. He teaches her that family always comes first, doing so by constantly looking out for Ree and still standing up for his brother Jessup even when he breaks Dolly moral code. Perhaps moral code is not everything.
I agree with all of your comments about Uncle Teardrop and his development through the story, as well as the changes in his attitude towards Ree and her family over time. Uncle Teardrop went from "rais[ing] his hand and d[rawing] it back to smack" Ree at the beginning of her search to her father, to ultimately rescuing her from the Thumps (24). As of my knowledge, Uncle Teardrop and Victoria do not have a child, so it seems likely that once Uncle Teardrop suspects and then later discovers that Jessup was killed, he adopts a paternal stance towards Ree. He stands for Ree and her family by accepting the misdeeds of his brother, and then stakes his own safety and reputation on Ree by being "willin' to stand for her" against Thump Milton (137). Although Uncle Teardrop initially roughed Ree around and treated her like dirt, he ultimately adopts a distant paternal role to protect "the close family [he] got left" (137). Even Uncle Teardrop's aggressiveness towards Baskin, as Jason mentions, shows that Uncle Teardrop was even willing to stand up to the law to protect Ree and the remaining family he has left. As Jason states, moral code may not be everything, but I believe that prioritizing family is.
ReplyDelete