Character Development

In chapter twenty, Ginny finally emerges as an active character, capable of shaping her own destiny. This scene, in which Ginny reprimands her father for his reckless behavior and drunk driving, exemplifies Ginny’s frustrating and chaotic struggle for control of her life.  Until now, each character abuses Ginny’s dependence and her desire to satiate everyone’s wants. Throughout the novel, Ginny has silently worked to maintain her relationships with each character as well as to keep everyone happy, despite the fact that subconsciously she was not happy herself. It seems that Ginny always frantically picks up the pieces of Larry’s rampages, Rose’s outbursts, and Caroline’s apathy. No one but Ginny really cares about the others’ feelings, thus Ginny is solely left to care for everyone. Ginny perpetually lives in a state of fear. Fear of her father. Fear for Rose. Fear for everything in her life she cannot control. Yet finally, a sense of empowerment and self-fulfillment washes over Ginny. She takes a stand with her father, foreshadowing perhaps her future actions with him. This passage is integral to the development of Ginny as a character because it demonstrates her internal tension and serves as the manifestation of her struggle for control. Before this scene, Ginny refuses to raise her voice, passively allowing other characters to manipulate her, use her, and emotionally torment her. However, in this scene, Ginny actively asserts herself, thus finally exerting some mode of control over her situation. Ginny becomes a dynamic character, who is now capable of affecting those around her, rather than always being affected.