Friendswood Pgs. 1-30 Questions

• Who are the main characters thus far? How do you know?  What quotes from the text can you use to show how they're described?

In the first thirty pages of the novel Friendswood, the reader has been introduced to several complex characters. The title of each chapter is the name of the main character that we meet in that specific chapter. In chapter one, the readers meet Lee. She is the mother of Jess and the ex-wife of Jack. Her daughter Jess is described as a carefree girl who loves running around and playing with her friends. Jess was skilled at riding horses at a young age, and Lee “...was proud of the way she had learned how to handle her stride and the reins” (Steinke XIV). Lee’s husband Jack is introduced as a temperamental man, and Lee has to tiptoe around him so that he doesn’t get angry or upset. But is is also clear that he loves Lee very much. Both Jess and Jack are introduced in the prologue, but in the first chapter, which takes place several years later, it is revealed that Jack has left Lee, and Jess does not make an appearance in the chapter. In the prologue, Lee seems relaxed and happy, because “the black snakes hadn’t wriggled up from the ground. And she had no idea that this world was not without an end” (Steinke XV). This is in stark comparison to the first chapter, where she is portrayed as tense and lost in her thoughts.

The second main character that the reader meets is Hal. Hal is a struggling real estate agent. Through his inner thoughts, the reader learns that he was a former alcoholic, stating that he had “...said good riddance to the devil last year when he stopped drinking cold” (Steinke 13). Hal also seems to have problems with his wife, and it is revealed that he had an affair previously, which “...only lasted seven weeks, but it had nearly killed him” (Steinke 16). Hal prays often, and is a strong believer in the power of prayer. He seems to be down on his luck, but is optimistic that he’s about to get a big break.

The third main character that the reader is introduced to is Willa. Her chapter is the shortest, but a lot of information is given about her. She has visions, or hallucinations. She sees people and objects that aren’t really there, explaining that “there had been a little girl, reaching up with both arms for Willa to hold her. There had been a naked man with thick thighs and a beard. There had been a plate of sugar dusted cookies” (Steinke 21-22). She is becoming paranoid about it, worrying “...if other people saw similar flashes of shapes or color…” (Steinke 21). Willa’s mother used to be best friends with Lee, but Willa never heard the story of their falling out. Willa’s father mentions how strangely Lee has been acting lately. Willa is just a teenager, but it seems as though she is dealing with several personal problems.

The fourth chapter picks up again with Lee, and the reader learns a bit more about Lee’s family and her backstory. Lee is the one who discovered the oil seeping up out of the ground in her backyard from the oil spill, and when “...she put her finger against the slime just at the blackest part, her skin came back red and stinging” (Steinke 27). She becomes distrustful of the EPA’s assurance that the oil is not toxic or poisonous, and it appears that, years after the spill, she is still trying to prove that the ground is filled with toxins, hence why she is “...filling up empty, sterilized jelly jars with dirt,” in the first chapter (Steinke 6). She seems to be stuck in the past. In fact, several of the characters seem to be preoccupied by the past, either reminiscing about the old days or reflecting on past life choices.

• How is Friendswood described? What quotes from the text can you use to support your answer?

On the back of the book, Friendswood is described as a “...small Gulf Coast town” (Steinke). The story takes place in Texas, where the main commodity is oil. Life revolves around the oil industry, and when disaster strikes, an oil spill, the entire town is turned upside down. The people in the town are eccentric, each of them battling inner demons, “from a confused fifteen-year-old girl beset by visions, to a high school football star tormented by his actions, to a mother galvanized by the death of her daughter, to a morally bankrupt father trying to survive his mistakes,” every character is struggling with their own personal problems (Steinke). But the issue is, nothing in Friendswood can stay personal. Friendswood is a town where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Willa’s father Jack even brings up Lee’s personal life at the dinner table, saying that “...she’s just gotten stranger about the old Rosemont site. Made a scene last month at the city council meeting” (Steinke 23). When the reader is first introduced to Friendswood, the atmosphere seems friendly, with neighbors all gathering around and talking to each other as dusk settles in the small, rural town. But it also seems like the folksy town is hiding dark secrets that could potentially ruin the lives of many.