I found
Joyce Carol Oates’s book in a Little Free Library and I was tempted to read it.
Her literary voice captivated me from the first page. Her writing is addictive,
fun and insightful. It blew my mind away. Now I am excited to search more of
her works.
We Were the Mulvaneys is an
outstanding, remarkable, thought-provoking novel about a family of six. Corinne
and Michael Mulvaney had four children: three boys and a girl. The family was
popular in the rural community; they lived on a farm in upstate New York in the
1960s and 1970s, and Michael had a roofing business. The family had an active
social life until something tragic happened on Valentine’s Day in the year
1976.
It is an immersive read charged with suspense
and spiced up by the charm of being an introspective psychological novel; I
admire the mastery with which Joyce Carol Oates reveals the variety of subtle
and not so subtle features of the human relationships and interactions that unfold.
Her literary skills illuminate with
grace and ease the results of prejudices, social misogyny and the intricacies
of the human experience. This book is a great choice for those who are
motivated to lead book discussions.
The narrative incorporates various aspects of the
social and political arena of the 1970s and 1980s, creating an opportunity for reflection
and debate. The author inserts morsels of information related to political and
social matters. I was left in awe at these unexpected comments that may help to
understand how some aspects of their reality resonate with our present, and how
they fit in the social construction of the novel.
The
tragic event that becomes a turning point in the life of this family is the
rape of the daughter--Marianne Mulvaney--by somebody in the community. From
that point on, everything changes. Their friends are no longer their
friends; it is shocking to see that they side with the rapist and his family
because “he is rich and has connections.”
The Mulvaneys were then ostracized. Let me
make this clear: they blamed the victim and questioned her
family while they sided with the rapist and his family.
It is
interesting to take a moment to reflect on this. Things have not changed much
since she wrote this novel. In November 2024 seventy-seven million people in
the United States of America voted for a sexual abuser. They could have
chosen the woman who stood up to sexual predators and protected the victims,
but they preferred the sexual abuser, while ninety million people did not
even bother to vote, enabling the sexual abuser to become president. Let’s highlight the fact that they enabled a
man who bragged openly about sexually assaulting women—the man wo referred to
this as “locker talk.” I have no interest in sugarcoating the truth to protect
the ego of the members of their cult. (Some people do that; I do not).
I appreciate the way Marianne Mulvaney moved
forward with her life. She chose to avoid dwelling on the cruelty and hatred of
the rapist, and she focused on rebuilding her life. Unfortunately, her own parents did something selfish
and obnoxious to her after the tragedy. I do not want to reveal what they did, but it made no
sense to me, and I still do not understand why they did that.
Corinne Mulvaney, Marianne’s mother, is
initially presented as a fascinating, sensitive woman with a free spirit, ready to defy
the discriminatory behaviors of the club her husband joined. However, my
perception of Corinne changes completely after the sexual assault takes place,
when she is ready to comply with her husband’s misogynistic request instead of
focusing on supporting Marianne. I will not share what they did because I do
not want to include spoilers here. Suffice it to say that this was a turning
point in the way I viewed Corinne.
Michael Mulvaney succumbed to an addiction to
alcohol after his daughter was raped, so his behavior became erratic and
dangerous. When this happened, Corinne became somewhat subservient to the whims of
his violent, authoritarian ways. After this shocking realization, I did not
care about her behaviors. I did not see any growth in her as a character. Joyce Carol Oates tries to instill quirks into
the character to make us like her, but the lack of
self-respect in her interactions with her husband shows that Corinne could not
redeem herself.
The
story finally closes in the year 1993 with a family reunion. It offers a
hopeful ending filled with optimism and healing. The promise of a better future
is envisioned.
Marianne’s life after her tragedy was
adventurous and interesting. It was absorbing to read how she navigated the
challenges. She was determined to move forward
with devotion, kindness and perseverance. I think she is the heroine of the
story. However, I think Joyce Carol Oates could have explored the effects of
sexual trauma further.
Her brother Patrick did something heroic to defend
his sister and restore a sense of justice, and he counted on the support of their
youngest brother, Judd. However, Marianne’s best friend was Muffin, the cat who
stayed with her throughout every ordeal. He never failed her; he never
mansplained her. They were inseparable. He was a silent hero in the story.
After I finished the novel, I kept thinking
about the characters, situations and the social and historical aspects of it. I now look forward to exploring more of Joyce Carol Oates’ oeuvre. She is an
exceptional writer.
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International Dog Day
Today is
International Dog Day so it is a good day to remind everybody to treat dogs and
all our furry friends with kindness and respect. Always make sure that your
dog has an accessible bowl with clean water.
Be thankful for the love they give you and
don’t forget to consider their needs and motivations. Avoid leaving dogs and
other pets alone in cars. They are very vulnerable to temperature fluctuations.
Also, avoid leaving them alone in planes. Dogs and other pets are not luggage.
They are living beings They suffer in those enclosed spaces and they can even die.
