Holly Durocher
January 31 2008
Reader Response: Broken Ground by Jack Hodgins
Like many of you, this is the second time I have read Broken Ground. The second read was a quick one, and this time I mostly applied the novels context to regionalism, and how the community was a representative of the war.
The novel is centered in a small community of ex-soldiers and their families who end up in strange circumstances after the war.
-The soldiers are put in the position where they are to save, protect and care for their families at high stakes. This fact is reminiscent of the war, and the men are the captains trying to protect and keep their troops alive.
-The wives tried to “keep things together” with the home and family, managing the best they could in a difficult situation.
-Fathers were emotionally absent instead of physically absent.
- The community was composed of many different kinds of people from different geographical backgrounds. (Just like the troops who lived together in the barracks).
I could go on forever about all these factors that support my statement that the community represents the war... but now I want to talk about the changing point of view in the story. I believe some of you may not have liked this, but I think it is an effective way for Hodgins to create a “3-D” view of the people’s lives in Portuguese Creek. Readers get a more intimate look at the workings of the families and the way the society is run. Most of us have some sort of a history background and have a mild understanding of the way the troops lived and worked together, and the actions/thoughts/feelings of several different characters makes the story more well rounded, in my opinion.
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2 comments:
Hey Holly,
I agree with you about the way Hodgins wrote with the POV always changing. I liked it for exactly the reason you said. It 'create[s] a “3-D” view of the people’s lives in Portuguese Creek.' While the reader may not get the whole story due to character's perspectives, we do get a broad picture that enables us to connect the stories and get an understanding of what's happening.
I like the way you included the women, Holly. I think the women who had to endure war and were left dealing with the men who survived war are often overlooked and forgotten.
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