Who are the main characters thus far? How do you know? What quotes from the text can you use to show how they're described?
In Friendswood, a novel by René Steinke, Lee seems to be the most important character from the first thirty pages of reading. She is the only one who seems to care about the land that was destroyed by the oil spill, and despite the possibility of arrest and legal trouble, she is still going beyond her boundaries and attempting to prove that the property is unfit for human living. This is evident in her excitement when she finds the upturned chemical tank. We can tell that Hal will be a main character as well, because of the conflict he faces which will so readily help thicken the plot and develop the storyline. Hal is consumed by his real estate business and his inability to live up to Christian ideals, as well as his previous bout with alcoholism. He also feels constant guilt about his affair with Dawn, and he almost has to talk himself into loving his wife. “‘Stop me from worrying,’ he said, and as soon as he said it, he felt a wave of warmth for Darlene again….” Meanwhile, he wishes for his son, Cully, to follow the Bible. Cully is a very fluent and nimble football player, and Hal is almost jealous of how much better his son is able to play than him.
How is Friendswood described? What quotes from the text can you use to support your answer?
Friendswood is described as a small, close-knit town where everybody knows your name. In the first chapter/prologue (1993 Rosemont), the neighbors all know Jess and watch her ride the horse. A seemingly insignificant event, it actually shows the unity between all of the neighbors as they each do their own things but continue to watch the horse gallop out to the fence and back. “She rode right up to the azaleas and bellflowers in the garden, bowed her head, and the McHughs applauded.” After the spill, it seems like it’s unsafe to go outdoors in this area, which the reader learns from the encounter between Lee and Jess. “Don’t go outside. Stay in here,” Lee says to Jess. While Lee was washing the sludge off of her hands, she told Jess that there was “bad stuff out there.” Although it used to be a family-friendly area, after the oil spill it is no longer safe for children to play outside. In the prologue, nothing was mentioned of alcoholism, infidelity, or Satan, which were all spoken about in the following chapters. It seems like the oil spill had a very negative effect on Friendswood, not only affecting the land, but also creating tension regarding both work (house sales) and play (Jess not being able to play outside).
