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Chapter 19
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
Several hours after leaving the Moffits, Cussy Mary arrives at Jackson Lovett’s place. He looks up from tending his garden with a happy greeting for her and Junia. Cussy hands him a copy of Brave New World, which used to belong to her mother. The book is banned in Kentucky, but Pa managed to get a copy as a Christmas present for Cussy’s mother years earlier. Cussy flushes a peacock blue while defending the book as “clean.” It’s at least cleaner than many of the real-life dramas going on in the hills. She loves its vision of a society with no hunger, illness, or war. Suddenly, she feels stupid and worried: what if Jackson reports her to the Center and she loses her job?
The book that Cussy Mary shares with Jackson is deeply meaningful to her, since it’s one of her few connections to her mother and represents the love between her parents. It also reminds us that people fear the power of books to influence people’s ideas; banned books are usually perceived as threatening to the status quo of a society. But, as Cussy points out, terrible and distressing things happen in real life all the time, and expecting a sanitized version of life in books is silly. Still, sharing the book is a significant risk, and it shows that (like Junia before her), she’s coming to trust Jackson.
Themes
Finally, Jackson says, simply, “Your mother has good taste.” When Cussy Mary explains that her mother died, he offers a heartfelt condolence. Then he thrills her by thanking her by name for the book. Jackson retrieves an apple and his previous loan from his cabin. He hands the book over to Cussy alongside a copy of Pearl S. Buck’s Sons as a personal loan. The two are both fans of Buck’s work, especially The Good Earth. Both are drawn to the character of O-Lan, who was too ugly to be loved but impossibly brave, and Farmer Lung, who loved the land.
Jackson and Cussy bond over the banned book she’s brought him (showing that they aren’t small minded and fearful about the power books have) and over other books that have given them a context to understand the human struggle for survival in a harsh world. Their conversation—in which Jackson calls her by her name—contrasts with Cussy's earlier attempt to connect with Harriett through books; Harriett rejected the offer of friendship while Jackson reciprocates it.
Themes
Jackson loves the land, as does Pa, who tells Cussy that it will stop feeding the people if they hurt it. And the Company hurts the land recklessly. Jackson is clearing some of his land by hand and selling the timber. But he doesn’t plan to take too many trees; just enough to make space for a barn and to thin the forests a little bit so new trees can grow.
The greed and recklessness of the mine companies, which see the land and the people who live there as tools to make money, makes life in rural Kentucky even harder. There are responsible and irresponsible ways to use the land; Jackson’s way is humane and responsible because he’s a good and thoughtful person.
Themes
Painfully aware that she’s said too much and stayed too long, Cussy thanks him for the book and prepares to leave. She’s astonished when Jackson walks her to Junia. After feeding the mule a bit of apple, Jackson offers Cussy a slice. But as she reaches for the fruit and her fingers touch Jackson’s, Junia rears and knocks them apart. As the mule stomps indignantly down the path, Jackson laughs in amusement.
Cussy Mary is surprised that Junia has come to trust Jackson, even though she trusts him herself. But Junia’s motion keeps them from touching and suggests that Cussy isn’t yet ready to consider a deeper relationship with Jackson. Nevertheless, by sharing books and food with each other, they have already demonstrated their care and concern for each other.
Themes
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