Themes and Settings for Chapters 7 & 8

Settings

Kilvert

Both Chapters are based on Kilvert where we know the Quigley's, Toloki and many other characters that we have met have lived. Kilvert was founded around 1830 and is most known for the residents' mixed bloodlines. "Ain't no better place than Kilvert". (p. 262)

The Cemetary

Toloki starts mourning in Kilvert and is paid by few people that attend the services. First, Toloki mourns the son of sister Naomi in chapter 7 after he is tragically killed by an exploding meth lab. Here we also find that Obed doesn't neglect the Bible as his mother assumed, when he tries to justify the practice of mourning with passeages from the Bible. Again, he gets to mourn publicly when sister Naomi dies from her addiction to Meth in chapter 8. ""She looks like she's been bobbing for French fries," the woman at the center whispered." (p. 249)

Wayne National Forest

We find Mahlon Quigley, Toloki, Obed, and Nathan all in the Wayne National Forest in chapter 7. The Wayne Nation Forest is the only national forest in Ohio. It covers nearly a quarter of a million acres and branches across 12 counties. The men go into the woods to go turkey hunting. Toloki did not want to go, but with the pressure of the Quigley's and Nathan, he ends up going, but with the understanding that he will not hunt, only watch. Here, Obed shoots a female turkey and upsets Nathan. "For serious shooters like Nathan it is shameful and despicable to kill a hen. Real men don't shoot hens." (p.218) We also see more of the Wayne National Forest while Mahlon goes on his suspicious hunts for ghost orchids for Orpah.

Federal Creek

This creek is mentioned in chapter 8. Toloki and Orpah take a walk there and shows Tololki where Mahlon has found the latest ghost orchid. She also tells of how her mother used to swim in the creek, but now that isn't possible due to the pollution in the creek.

The Quigley House

Throughout chapter 7 Toloki still resides in the Quigley house. Things become more heated there because of his stay with Orpah and he begins to feel uneasy there and threatened by Mahlon. After 7 months of staying with the Quigley's Toloki moves out in chapter 8. He does return, however, to Orpah's window secretely to listen to her sitar, but is caught by Mahlon.

The RV

After Toloki moves from the Quigley house, he buys an RV from Nathan. It was a 1982 Ford Shasta from Lancaster, Ohio. The RV was Obed's suggestion. Toloki believes this is because Obed wanted to use the RV as his own because what was the point in buying an RV when Toloki can't drive? Both Orpah and Obed visit Toloki often there dispite the fact that Ruth decided that it would be in the two's best interest never to go to the RV when Toloki moved out. The women at the center were gracious enough to let Toloki leave his RV on their grounds and thats where it stays.

The Center

Toloki goes there very ofter throughout both the chapters and is taught by the women there how to quilt. Because of his visits, Ruth becomes more jealous and doesn't understand why he didn't have her teach him how to quilt. Toloki also helps hand out the food, mop the floors, and other tedious things to help the women for letting him stay on their grounds with his RV. The Center is also where the Chinese Auction was held that Toloki went to with Orpah in chapter 7. Orpah makes Toloki buy a George Bush Gnome there to try to make Mahlon like Toloki more, but the attempt was fruitless.

Appalachial Rising Bluegrass Festival
Nathan convinces Orpah to play her sitar at the festival. This brings Orpah, Obed, Nathan and Toloki just outside of Hunington, WestVirginia. When Orpah goes onto the stage, she assumes she will be playing her instrument alone, but to her surprise many other instrument players join in to her authentic music. She then gets upset when Nathan tries to control what Orpah does with her music and everyone goes home. Going home then leads to Orpah and Toloki's heated night together.

Cion Chapters 7-8 Themes

There are surprisingly few themes in this selection of the book. The main themes I have located have been the strong desire that Toloki has for Orpah, the regret that Ruth shows when her children begin to change, the struggle of Mahlon and Toloki for the right to Orpah, the re occurrence of death, and even the eventual departure of Toloki from the Quigley household.

These chapters revolve mostly around Tololki’s struggle to adapt to Kilvert and his growing desire to be Orpah. In chapter 7 he is taken to the community center to begin his quilting lesson's however, that is quickly interuppted by Nathan who insists he go hunting turkey with him, Toloki eventually goes with Nathan only to learn that Nathan has a strong desire for Orpah, and even mentions Orpah’s “games” with her father. This peaks Tolokis interest immensely and then soon Nathan and Obed get into a heated discussion over Obed's hunting practices. Later on the group goes the a bluegrass festival where Orpah plays her sitar on stage. The group is fascinated by this and the popularity becomes too much for Orpah and she runs away. This leads to a falling out between the friends and Tolokis feeling are revealed to Orpah. She is taken back by this and later on seems to like the attention he gives her. That night they almost have sex but instead lay there with each other, naked, just enjoying the time they have with each other. After this point the romance seems to become very immature and their actions are compared to those of scared teenagers. Toloki eventually moves out and buys an RV to live in, he lives in the parking lot of the community center. At this point he spends much of his time in the center quilting, where Orpah comes to visit him very frequently. She even begins to spend time with him at his RV. At the end of the chapter Toloki is overcome with a sense of duty to discover what it is that Mahlon and Orpah are doing in her room in those strange costumes, he eavesdrops outside the window to listen in on what is happening. He is soon discovered by Mahlon and invited in, sadly Orpah is not happy to see him. She protests his presence by saying " He can't take no part in our memories!" This is where it ends.

In the reading there is also a slight theme of betrayal between Obed and Toloki. Twice in the chapter Obed asks for Toloki’s assistance with his capitalistic escapades and both times Toloki refuses to assist him. Obed at first doesn’t seem too bothered but it is when he returns from Connecticut that the frustration begins to show. Toloki does not go because he claims " I am just a professional mourner, a billionare would know nothing about me, nor would he wish to see me." Obed blames Toloki’s absence as the reasoning for why he could not gain an audience with the billionaire Kerzner. In all reality Toloki’s absence had no affect on the outcome of the situation, it was because Kilvert was not yet an actual Indian reservation. This frustration is seen throughout the rest of the reading.

Again, death is a theme in this reading. Seeing as Toloki is a professional mourner it would make sense that death happens a lot in this book. The first funeral which Toloki mourns at is almost a joyous occasion for him, it was the first time he was able to mourn professionally since he has been in America. The next funeral is for a woman who was close the family and died to her addiction to meth, Toloki mourns at this funeral as well, however this time he is much less liked by the Quigley family and is a much less joyous occasion for him. The book states " Despite my spirited mourning both Ruth and Mahlon pretend I am not here at all. Not even a glance in my direction." This shows how sad Toloki is to be shunned by the people he cares so much for.

The final theme present in the reading is the unappreciation Ruth feels by her children. She feels as if her children have become wild and rebellious since Toloki moved in with the Quigley family. She sees Obed becoming more and more rebellious and the overall lack of their presence is greatly troubling to her. She sobs uncontrollably and claims that no one in the family understand the sacrifices she has made for the family. Some of her claims may be unfounded but it is hard not sympathize with her.



Questions:

1.) Do you think that Toloki's relationship with Orpah will go any farther than it has, considering he plans to return to Africa?

2.) Do you think the that the relationship between Toloki and Mahlon will change, seeing as Mahlon caught Toloki listening outside of the window?

3.) What do you think Toloki's quilt making is begining to represent?