Acceptance and Ostracism

Bloodlines, behavior, and perceived loyalty can all determine if a person is accepted or ostracized in a local community or a family unit. In the novel, this is exampled by the fine line between the people who are accepted in Forest Grove and those who are set apart from the community. A similar situation exists in the Byatt family unit.

Bloodlines are important in the village of Forest Grove and in the Byatt family. The Byatts are accepted in Forest Grove because they are one of the oldest and most established families. Melissa’s family, the Quails, are not thought of as well even though they lived in the forest even before the village existed. For instance, one of the posters on the Forest Grove Facebook page indicates: “My old ma always said the Quails were trouble” (267). When Patrick gets Melissa pregnant, it is...