Discussion Topic: Elizabeth

[bentley]

Stormy Weather is not only the story of the three sisters and Jack, but of Elizabeth (the mother and Jack's widow). What did you think of Elizabeth? Her background, dreams, motivations, parenting skills, as a wife, as a survivor? There was a lot (I thought) written about this important character; and the one character who I felt had a legacy to begin with.

Would be very interested to discuss this character and hear other readers' point(s) of view.

[jd]

After Jacks demise Elizabeth does not want to do housework, farmwork or other work and wants to live in town. All of her early efforts to keep the family alive and together have ended with Jacks death and very little resources to survive on. I think she becomes a person with a brain and not a day laborer. She is the one who reads the oil charts and prospectus for the drilling and decides that the risk is worthwhile to invest in the oil well. She wants to have a life of her own without the struggle and drama that has followed her during her married life. She would like to have a 'time out' for a while and do some of the things she was not allowed to do when she was married to Jack - jd

[bentley]

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jd wrote:
After Jacks demise Elizabeth does not want to do housework, farmwork or other work and wants to live in town. All of her early efforts to keep the family alive and together have ended with Jacks death and very little resources to survive on. I think she becomes a person with a brain and not a day laborer. She is the one who reads the oil charts and prospectus for the drilling and decides that the risk is worthwhile to invest in the oil well. She wants to have a life of her own without the struggle and drama that has followed her during her married life. She would like to have a 'time out' for a while and do some of the things she was not allowed to do when she was married to Jack - jd

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I agree jd..she was never taken out as Jack's wife from what I could see. I also saw Elizabeth has having connections to a family legacy and being grounded by those ties unlike Jack.

[Fozzie]

SPOILER - WHOLE BOOK

For most of the book, I felt like Elizabeth was a victim of her husband's bad habits. However, as I was finishing up the book, a new thought occurred to me --- Elizabeth was a lot like Jack --- both were gamblers. I shocked myself when I realized this.

I thought Elizabeth made a mistake when she invested so much of what little money the family had on an oil well. Then, when her daughters started hiding money from her for fear that she would invest more in the oil well, I knew that she had a problem.

Elizabeth's gambling didn't harm the family because the oil well did come in, but maybe she was just luckier than Jack.

[jd]

Spoiler - The girls eventually give E a little more shares as presents when they can because it seems to give her such joy to have some control over something even if she cannot predict the outcome. She also enjoys being trusted with making the decision, which did not happen when she was married to J.

[pkjiles]

Yes, I meant it to be a different take on Elizabeth's character that she too, becomes involved in gambling on something. But in this case, the thought and the experience of doing something on her own, with her own money, making her own decisions, is very heady, very exciting. she is carried away with it.

[bentley]

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pkjiles wrote:
Yes, I meant it to be a different take on Elizabeth's character that she too, becomes involved in gambling on something. But in this case, the thought and the experience of doing something on her own, with her own money, making her own decisions, is very heady, very exciting. she is carried away with it.

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Yes, but not in a bad way thankfully. And she did take it seriously reading and studying up on what needed to be done and the maps, etc.

[Fozzie]

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pkjiles wrote:
Yes, I meant it to be a different take on Elizabeth's character that she too, becomes involved in gambling on something. But in this case, the thought and the experience of doing something on her own, with her own money, making her own decisions, is very heady, very exciting. She is carried away with it.

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SPOILER
Normally, I am not a reader who always wants a happy ending for the characters of a book, but I was hoping the well would come in. I think Elizabeth and her family deserved a break!

Also, Elizabeth may have not only have gained cash flow when the well came in, I think she gained a suitor too:

"Mr. Lacey said he would explain. He stood very still so she wouldn't take her hand away, and his heart was drowned in a sweet, high-gravity sensation." (pg. 300)

Wouldn't that be nice if their relationship worked out?