Family

Throughout the novel, the author explores the power of family connection through Ree Dolly's care of, search for, and loyalty to her clan. Because of her mother's weakened mental capacities, and her father's recent disappearance, Ree has been left responsible for the care of her two young brothers, Sonny and Harold. She assumes a maternal role in both the young boys and her mother's lives. Ree's understanding of family is immediately tied to these duties to her nuclear family. However, these responsibilities weight on Ree's spirit. She often wanders off into the snow to find reprieve from "the constant screeching, squalling hubbub regular life raised inside her" (10). So while Ree loves and is wholly devoted to her family, she also feels their expectations weight, and constantly hopes for a chance for freedom. Her family's history and patterns of living keep dictate who Ree can be in...