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Chapter 10
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Kind, Kindness, and Discrimination
The Power of Books
Hardship and Humanity
Change and Modernization
Autonomy and Interdependence
Summary
Analysis
At home, Pa excuses Cussy Mary’s lateness, since he has a soft spot for Miss Loretta. Although it’s his night off, he’s heading to the mine to cover a shift for another miner whose wife is in labor. Pa tells Cussy to get something to eat from the basket Doc left earlier. He occasionally brings food and treats to try to talk Pa or Cussy Mary into letting him examine them or take blood or skin samples. Cussy Mary starts to tell Pa about the noises she’s heard in the woods, which he assumes is a bobcat. As he walks out the door, she mumbles about her encounter with Vester, but he doesn’t hear her.
Despite the hardship of his life and the discrimination that he faces, Pa is still committed to taking care of his fellow miners, demonstrating his humanity and kindness. Pa cares for others without expecting for things in return. By contrast, Doc’s generosity is meant to entice Cussy Mary or Pa into allowing him to perform medical experiments on them to find the root cause of their blue skin.
Themes
Alone, Cussy Mary hurries through her chores. She lies down on the mattress that Pa bought at the Company Store hoping it would help her heal faster after her beating. He had to work extra shifts for two weeks to cover the cost. She thinks about the horrific hunger Henry and families like his suffer. No one has enough, and the Company keeps everyone in debt. The injustice and anguish make Cussy scream.
The costly mattress that Pa buys for Cussy represents his love and concern for Cussy, though the mattress might also reflect Pa’s guilt over forcing Cussy’s marriage to Charlie. Despite her own difficulties, Cussy is worried about those who have less than she does, showing her kindness and empathy and underscoring the terrible toll of life in the hills.
Themes
