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Conflict
A key symbol in this novel is Medea and Jason (Allegory) The story of Medea and Jason is an allegory that appears throughout the novel. It serves as an empowering lens through which Esch envisions her future with Manny, since she aligns herself with Medea, who ultimately takes revenge on Jason.
The conflicts seen in this novel are person vs self and person vs person
Person vs self because Esche is doubting and questioning herself becuase she thinks she is weak and not going to be able to carry this baby
Person vs person because Esche is always having conflicts with her dad and Manny when telling him he is the father of the child she is pregnant with
Womanhood as Inherently Violent
Esch frequently dwells on the notion that femininity is inherently tied to violence. In her daydreams, this is best embodied by her obsession with the myth of Medea and Jason, to which she believes her relationship with Manny is inherently linked. By invoking the violence of Medea, who famously killed her own children to get revenge on her cheating lover, Esch suggests a framework for understanding her own power as a new mother.
Strength and Weakness
This novel dwells on the question of strength and weakness in relation to gender, asking once and for all who is stronger: men or women. Esch engages this question when she physically attacks Manny, emerging from the fight victorious just as China did when fighting Kilo, a connection that Esch makes explicit by narrating, "I am on him like China" (203).
The point of view of "Salvage the Bones" is first person, exclusively through the eyes and emotions of Esche, the only significant female character present in the novel, aside from China. The point of view is not entirely reliable, as Esche often draws conclusions or makes assumptions that are not necessarily rational or stable, and much of the time she spends comparing her situation to Medea's even when the parallels are incredibly thin.
The story is taken place in Mississippi in 2005 in the month of August when Hurricane Katrina hit.
Esch. The main character and narrator of the novel (age 15)
Skeetah. Esch's older brother, the second to oldest of her siblings (age 16)
Daddy. Esch's stern, alcoholic father
Randall. Esch's oldest brother (age 17).
Junior. Esch's youngest brother (7 years old)
China. Skeetah's prize pitbull
Mama. Esch's dead mother.
Manny Randall’s closest friend and Esch’s chief love interest.
Big Henry. A friend of Skeetah and Randall’s.
Marquise. A friend of Skeetah and Randall’s, and the boy to which Esch lost her virginity.
Rico. Manny’s cousin and the owner of Kilo, the dog that impregnated China.