Introduction
The novel My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt is devoted to the problems of moral choice based on contrasting elements and characters, moral dilemmas and life stories of ordinary citizens in a small town. Tiger Ann lives in a small town, Saitter. Tiger is one of the best students in spite of the fact that both of her parents are mentally ill. her grandmother is one of the best friends her helps and supports her. Tiger does not have many friends except Jesse Wade Thompson. One day, she hopes that Abby Lynn Anders invites her to girls’ parties, but Tiger’s mother behaves inappropriately and Tiger is not invited to this party. When grandmother dies, Tiger is at a loss. Her Aunt, Dorie Kay, who lives in Baton Rouge comes to help her with funerals because her parents are unable to do it. The aunt proposes her to leave this town and start a new life in Baton Rouge. Tiger hesitates for a long time, but during a storm she realizes that she really loves her parents and has to care about them. She decides to stay in this small town.
Main body
The protagonist of the story is a teenage girl, Tiger. She, a twelve year old girl, lives in a small Louisiana town. She is the foundation and support for her mentally ill parents. She is used to establish significance as a human being and to the audience. Tiger thus articulates his value and notes the real worth beneath the sham presentation. The male world is ungrateful, unappreciative of such contributions; only Tiger understands and values them. Tiger is depicted as hardworking and industrious child: “Tiger, you’re a smart gal when it comes to those books” (79). Tiger is kind and sympathetic character, caring and loving daughter and granddaughter. She has a unique ability to sympathize and understand people, their grievances and life troubles. Her beautiful and pretty aunt Dorie Kay is an antagonist. On the one hand, she tries to help Tiger to escape poverty and routine life in a small town like Saitter. The conflict is based on hesitations and desires of Tiger to start a new life but she cannot leave her mentally ill parents. “If everything went Ok, Baton Rouge was about to become my new home” (153). The main theme is moral values and responsibility of a child to care about ill parents.
Conclusion
Kimberly Willis Holt uses different stylistic devices but the most impressive ones are speech and the manner of speaking, symbolic details and humor. Speech and the manner of speaking became increasingly important to the author because she found it possible to tell a great deal about characters by carefully recording what they said and how they said it. The settings of the story, a small provincial town, Saitter, are in part primitive, in part degenerated from higher levels. The author finds literary material in culture and education to unveil atmosphere of the town. Baton Rouge can be seen as a symbol of dreams and better life, hopes and changes. The author uses some humorous elements and details to depict settings and situations, characterize characters and their actions. Description of television and other modern conveniences seems humorous for modern readers: Her immediate resources are quick eye and her keen insight into human nature. The story vividly portrays true feelings and moral values of a small girl and her understand of self-identity and importance in life of her parents.
Works Cited
Holt, K. W. My Louisiana Sky. Yearling, 2000.