Little River

Little River is the small town where the protagonist, April, grows up. The community is largely working class and there are few cultural or social events. While April plans to marry Matty, at the outset of the novel, his plan for a life in Little River makes the protagonist feel trapped. She does not want to consign herself to being a housewife, living in a trailer, and participating in potlucks. Throughout the novel, Little River serves as an emblem for April’s childhood trauma. She avoids returning to the small town in the same manner that she avoids confronting the lingering emotional effects of her parents’ neglect and her feelings of worthlessness. April is only able to reconcile her past and her present identity when she returns to Little River and accepts that her parents’ actions were a reflection of their cowardice, not her worth.

Ithaca

Ithaca...