The Decline of the Bedloe Family in Anne Tyler's, Saint Maybe
“Saint Maybe Timed Writing Essay Revision” In Anne Tyler’s Saint Maybe, Doug Bedloe’s perspective reveals that the Bedloe family is declining with age.
The Bedloe family begins to diminish as the years go by and everyone begins to age. Doug’s acknowledgment of Bee’s growing illness of arthritis creates her personality to develop into unpleasant bitterness. Doug observes, “In the dark, Bee’s special white arthritis gloves glowed eerily. She lay on her side, facing him, with the gloves curled beneath her chin. The slightest sound used to wake her when their own three children were little-a cough or even a whimper. Now she slept through everything, and Doug was glad. It was a pity so much rested on Ian, but Ian was young (Tyler 172). With Doug’s point of view, it shoes how Ian doesn’t have much of a choice to take care of the children. He is left with the responsibility of taking over for his mother because her illness limits her abilities. The family starts to fall apart without her; she is the ‘glue’ of the family if you will. In addition to Danny’s passing away, Beastie’s death verifies that the family is becoming smaller and is affecting the family emotionally as well. Doug illustrates, “When Doug saw her velvety snout against the clay, tears came to his eyes. She had always been such an undemanding dog, so accommodating, so adaptable (Tyler 171). This is important to Doug’s character because it shows how much it hurts him to lose family. Beastie’s death is symbolic because everyone is getting old and reaching their time of departure. The loss of Danny and Bee’s arthritis is causing the traditions in the Bedloe house to cease along with the
The Bedloe family begins to diminish as the years go by and everyone begins to age. Doug’s acknowledgment of Bee’s growing illness of arthritis creates her personality to develop into unpleasant bitterness. Doug observes, “In the dark, Bee’s special white arthritis gloves glowed eerily. She lay on her side, facing him, with the gloves curled beneath her chin. The slightest sound used to wake her when their own three children were little-a cough or even a whimper. Now she slept through everything, and Doug was glad. It was a pity so much rested on Ian, but Ian was young (Tyler 172). With Doug’s point of view, it shoes how Ian doesn’t have much of a choice to take care of the children. He is left with the responsibility of taking over for his mother because her illness limits her abilities. The family starts to fall apart without her; she is the ‘glue’ of the family if you will. In addition to Danny’s passing away, Beastie’s death verifies that the family is becoming smaller and is affecting the family emotionally as well. Doug illustrates, “When Doug saw her velvety snout against the clay, tears came to his eyes. She had always been such an undemanding dog, so accommodating, so adaptable (Tyler 171). This is important to Doug’s character because it shows how much it hurts him to lose family. Beastie’s death is symbolic because everyone is getting old and reaching their time of departure. The loss of Danny and Bee’s arthritis is causing the traditions in the Bedloe house to cease along with the