My Life as a Rat
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Author Description
“A painful truth of family life: the most tender emotions can change in an instant. You think your parents love you but is it you they love, or the child who is theirs?” --Joyce Carol Oates, My Life as a RatWhich should prevail: loyalty to family or loyalty to the truth? Is telling the truth ever a mistake and is lying for one’s family ever justified? Can one do the right thing, but bitterly regret it?My Life as a Rat follows Violet Rue Kerrigan, a young woman who looks back upon her life in exile from her family following her testimony, at age twelve, concerning what she knew to be the racist murder of an African-American boy by her older brothers. In a succession of vividly recalled episodes Violet contemplates the circumstances of her life as the initially beloved youngest child of seven Kerrigan children who inadvertently “informs” on her brothers, setting into motion their arrests and convictions and her own long estrangement.Arresting and poignant, My Life as a Rat traces a life of banishment from a family—banishment from parents, siblings, and the Church—that forces Violet to discover her own identity, to break the powerful spell of family, and to emerge from her long exile as a “rat” into a transformed life.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
A young woman grapples with the devastating consequences of revealing a family secret that led to her exile. Violet Rue Kerrigan, once the cherished youngest of seven, recounts her life after testifying against her older brothers for a racist murder when she was twelve. Now estranged from her parents, siblings, and the Church, Violet must navigate her banishment and forge an identity separate from the powerful, destructive bonds of her family, all while questioning the cost of truth and the nature of loyalty.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Exploration of the moral complexities of family loyalty versus the pursuit of truth.
- A narrative told through Violet's retrospective contemplation of her childhood and subsequent exile.
- Examination of the protagonist's struggle to define herself outside of her family's influence.
- The impact of a single, pivotal childhood event on a lifetime of estrangement.
- Themes of banishment, identity formation, and the enduring power of familial ties.
- A critical look at the concept of 'belonging' within a family unit.
- The psychological toll of bearing witness and its repercussions.
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
The premise sets up a deeply introspective and emotionally charged narrative, characteristic of Joyce Carol Oates's exploration of complex family dynamics and moral quandaries. The story appears poised to delve into the psychological ramifications of betrayal and ostracization within a familial context. Readers can anticipate a character-driven examination of how profound personal choices, even those rooted in a sense of justice, can lead to lifelong consequences and a solitary existence. The narrative structure, focusing on retrospective recall, suggests a deliberate pacing that allows for a thorough exploration of Violet's internal landscape and her evolving understanding of her past.
Page Count:
416
Publication Date:
2019-06-04
Publisher:
FOURTH ESTATE
ISBN-10:
0008339651
ISBN-13:
9780008339654
Literary Fiction
Psychology
Fiction
Philosophy
Family Saga
Coming of Age
Fiction psychological
Subjects
