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The Dry Grass of August


"A must-read for fans of The Help." - Woman's World
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What is your impression on how the author developed her characters?

Created: 12/20/11

Replies: 3

Posted Dec. 20, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dave s

Join Date: 05/19/11

Posts: 20

What is your impression on how the author developed her characters?

This is the one area that I found lacking about this book. A great story with a lot of strong themes, but I felt like I really never knew the characters. I would have enjoyed knowing Mary and Paula in more depth since their stories are very compelling. Even the main protagonist, Jubie, is not fully developed in my view---what made her into such a strong figure that would buck cultural norms at the time regarding race relations. A lot of missed opportunities


Posted Dec. 28, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joyces

Join Date: 06/16/11

Posts: 410

RE: What is your impression on how the author developed her characters?

I think the author's style here of using a 13 year old as narrator dictated the depth of the development of each character. We are seeing what she saw and I think the story progressed well in the limited vision a girl of that age in that situation had. If you asked any 13 year old to talk about their family members I think you would get about the same depth of view she had.


Posted Jan. 07, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dave s

Join Date: 05/19/11

Posts: 20

RE: What is your impression on how the author developed her characters?

Interesting note, Joyce, and I do agree with you that we are getting the perespective of a young person and that it is different than an adults I guess I've seen other books told by a young protagonists that seem to have a richer feel to them.


Posted Jan. 31, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sylviaj

Join Date: 09/14/11

Posts: 30

RE: What is your impression on how the author developed her characters?

Dave, this is exactly how I felt about the book and it colored my reading of it. None of the characters are fully realized, particularly the best ones, Mary and Jubie. I wanted to know so much more about Mary and I was left feeling that the book had something missing.


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