Setting of Where the Heart is:
This story takes places in a small town in Oklahoma called Sehquoya. Made up of the essentials for a town to have, and nothing more. A wal-mart, Library, city park, cafe, grocery store, and a garage. The houses in the town were small, bungalow homes and trailers.
During our group discussion I asked "why did they think the author decided to place the story particularly in Sequoyah Oklahoma?"
We figured that the story is probably placed in a small town in America to represent to readers how little Novalee had being in such a small place. However, it also shows how in a small town people help each other out. Sister Husband was one of the characters in the story who's role was to be one of the kind townspeople to help Novalee with her struggles.
Characters:
-Optimistic
-Resourceful
-
Americus Nation:
-Innocent
-Novalee's baby
- Born in a Wal-Mart
Willy Jack Pickens:
-Selfish-Unintelligent
-Novalee's previous boyfriend
-Father of Americus Nation
Sister Husband:
-Helpful
-Welcoming
-Benevolent
-Courteous
Whitecotton Moses:
-
Reggie Lewis:
- Pedophile
Benny Goodluck:
-
Lexie:
- Novalee's Friend
- A mother
- A mother
Troy Moffatt:
-Naive
-Dense
Forney Hull:
-Novalee's lover
Conflict:
In this novel there are several conflicts. The intial incident in this story is man vs. man, when Novalee gets stranded by Willy Jack in an unfamiliar place which leads into the second conflict; man vs. enviorment. Novalee is forced to adapt to a new and strange place to her.
And lastly, Man vs. himself, when Novalee has to face a series of obstacles such as her fear of the number seven, the death of Sister Husband, and falling in love with Forney.
Themes:
An important theme in this story is perseverance, and or being able to overcome certain barriers in life. Novalee Nation had many hardships throughout the course of this novel, right from the beginning when Willy Jack relinquished her and their baby in a strange town and with little money. She then needs to organize her living situation, and food. Which she manages to do by spending her nights in the town's Wal-mart.Another theme in this story is graciousness or generosity as presented by Sister Husband at the beginning of the story when she took Novalee in to try and help her as much as she could.
