Larry and Wallace's Relationship

The relationship between Larry Ott and Wallace Stringfellow in Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is a complex and unsettling one, highlighting themes of loneliness, obsession, and misunderstanding.

Similarities between Larry and Wallace:

• Both quit school
• Both were ostracized from society
• Both are single and considered loners
• They attended the same school and saw each other at church

Highlight: The similarities between Larry and Wallace underscore the theme of social isolation in the novel.

Differences between them:

• Wallace engages in destructive behaviors such as drinking, smoking, and drug use
• Wallace has violent fantasies and owns a dog
• Larry maintains a more reserved and law-abiding lifestyle

Wallace's obsession with Larry stems from his misguided belief that Larry raped and killed Cindy Walker. This leads to:

• Wallace idolizing Larry as a hero
• Wallace committing a similar crime in what he believes is an homage to Larry
• Wallace attempting to seek advice from Larry

Example: Wallace breaks into Larry's barn, follows him after church, and tries to get close to him, all driven by his twisted admiration.

For Larry, Wallace represents:

• The first person to talk to him in a long time
• Company in his lonely and monotonous life
• A source of a Christmas gift after many years without one
• Someone who doesn't see him as a "creep" based on rumors

Quote: "Larry is so desperate for friends that he sees past Wallace's weirdness in the beginning."

Larry's response to Wallace:

• Feels a sense of responsibility towards him
• Wants to help Wallace, even after realizing Wallace's crimes
• Attempts to give Wallace a job, trying to be the father figure Wallace never had

Vocabulary: Idolization - Excessive admiration or reverence for someone.

This relationship highlights Larry's loneliness and desperation for human connection, as well as his inherent goodness in wanting to help others, even those who may not deserve it.

Loneliness and Social Isolation

The theme of loneliness is pervasive in Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, particularly in the character of Larry Ott. The novel explores how social isolation affects individuals from childhood through adulthood.

Larry's boyhood:

• Characterized by uncommon interests such as reading horror stories and nature
• Struggles with a stutter, which sets him apart from peers
• Rejected and ridiculed by classmates who view him as a "weak nerd"
• Naively allows himself to be used by others
• Faces constant disappointment and humiliation from his father due to his physical appearance and interests

Quote: "Outcast, needy, cowardly, ridiculed" - These words encapsulate Larry's childhood experiences.

Larry as an adult:

• Becomes a suspect/person of interest in a disappearance case
• Ostracized by the Chabot community
• Joins the military in an attempt to remain anonymous and escape his past

Highlight: Larry's loneliness is a direct result of societal prejudice and misunderstanding, stemming from both his personality and the suspicions surrounding him.

The novel explores how this prolonged isolation affects Larry's psyche and behavior:

• Desperate for any form of human connection
• Willing to overlook warning signs in potential friendships (e.g., with Wallace)
• Maintains a sense of loyalty and desire to help others, despite his mistreatment

Example: Larry's willingness to help Wallace, even after realizing Wallace's crimes, demonstrates both his loneliness and his inherent goodness.

The theme of loneliness extends to other characters as well, such as Silas in his childhood and Wallace, highlighting the universal human need for connection and acceptance.

Vocabulary: Ostracized - Excluded from a society or group.

Through Larry's experiences, the novel critiques societal tendencies to isolate and judge individuals based on rumors and appearances, showing the devastating effects of such treatment on a person's life and psyche.

Characters and Setting

The novel Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is primarily set in Chabot, a small community in Mississippi, with additional locations including Chicago and Fulsom. The Southern American setting is significant, given the region's history of racism and slavery.

Highlight: The Mississippi setting provides a rich backdrop for exploring themes of racial tension and social inequality.

The main characters are Larry Ott and Silas Jones, whose complex relationship forms the core of the narrative. Other important characters include:

• Ina and Carl Ott (Larry's parents)
• Alice Jones (Silas's mother)
• Cecil
• Cindy Walker
• Angie
• Tina Rutherford
• Wallace

Definition: Character dynamics in the novel are deeply influenced by family relationships, friendships, and societal expectations.

The story explores the intricate family dynamics of both Larry and Silas. Alice Jones, Silas's mother, is portrayed as loving and hardworking, striving to provide better opportunities for her son. However, Silas feels dissatisfied with his poor, fatherless upbringing and his mother's perceived subservience to white people.

Example: Silas's character is shaped by the absence of a father figure, while Larry's personality is strongly influenced by his dominant and often cruel father, Carl.

Larry's relationship with his parents is complex. He feels a lifelong loyalty to them, following in his father's footsteps as a mechanic and diligently caring for his parents' property. However, he also struggles with feelings of guilt and inadequacy, particularly in his mother's eyes.

Quote: "Larry's lifelong loyalty to his parents: becomes a mechanic like father, diligently looks after his parents' house and mother's chickens, visits mother in care home"

The mother figures in the novel, Ina (Larry's mother) and Alice (Silas's mother), play significant roles in shaping their sons' characters. Ina is portrayed as dependent and sometimes unable to protect Larry from his father's cruelty. Alice, while independent and well-intentioned, sometimes fails to meet Silas's emotional needs.