Dead End In Norvelt
Dead End In Norvelt
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2011
Plot Summary
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.
Miss Volker idolizes Eleanor Roosevelt, and her hyperbolic acclaim for the first lady turns Eleanor into a symbolic deity. Miss Volker refers to Eleanor as “[their] town’s esteemed founder” (40). Later, she claims, “Mrs. Roosevelt was the godmother and a great one she was” (232). Aside from allegedly creating Norvelt, Eleanor, by herself, advocated for decent housing and helped secure the place of a Black family. Miss Volker leaves out Franklin D. Roosevelt and Milburn Wilson, and the omission reinforces the image of Eleanor as an icon who willed Norvelt into existence through her exceptional generosity and compassion. The story is powerful and inspiring, but it’s not entirely true. While Eleanor advocated for Norvelt and the town renamed itself in her honor, she was not entirely responsible for its creation. Despite this, Miss Volker idealizes her, turning her into a god-like figure.
Jack is a sensitive character, and his nosebleeds are a recurring motif that symbolizes his keen awareness of the world and develops Confronting Death and Violence. Jack explains,
When Dad’s old Chevy truck backfired I showered blood across the sidewalk. When I fell off the pony and landed on my butt my nose spewed blood down over my chest. At night, if I had a disturbing dream then my nose leaked through the pillow. I swear, with the blood I was losing I needed a transfusion about every other day (13-14).
The nosebleeds aren’t immediately negative, as being cognizant of sensations and feelings makes Jack a reflective, caring person. Nevertheless, as Jack admits, his condition isn’t sustainable. He jokes about needing a “blood transfusion,” and the humor indicates that he needs to find a solution to the nosebleeds. Miss Volker provides the answer. She gets Jack to stop taking iron, and she cauterizes the capillaries in his nose. In the symbolic context, the nosebleeds symbolize Jack’s hypersensitivity, and Miss Volker’s operation represents her goal of toughening him.
Miss Volker and Bunny suggest that Jack needs to start to act like a “man.” While their quips are playful, they also perpetuate problematic gender norms. When they push Jack to act like a “man,” they want him to assert himself and not let the world push him around. He can still be sensitive, but he can also carry on. Since Jack’s nose doesn’t bleed during the deer incident with Mom and her brother, Jack demonstrates that he can exert control over his emotions.
The obituaries are a symbol of teaching lessons and expand on the theme of History as Guidance. When the older women die, Miss Volker uses their lives to make diverse points. For example, after Emma Devers Slater dies, Miss Volker discusses her brother-in-law, who survived an accident and joined the circus, where he fell in love. The lesson is that people can find love anywhere and with anybody. Miss Volker uses Mrs. Dubicki’s death to highlight the difficulties of immigrating to the United States. For Mrs. Linga’s obituary, Miss Volker focuses on the importance of art and caring for animals. With Mrs. Vinyl’s death, Miss Volker brings up how people can still celebrate one another in times of distress. For Mrs. Bloodgood, Miss Volker addresses racism. With Mrs. Droogie, the last obituary, Miss Volker sends the message that people should do what pleases them, not what makes others happy.
Jack claims that Miss Volker uses history to teach the Norvelters lessons, but the obituaries themselves also instruct Norvelters. They show that people don’t need to live somewhere else or gain wealth and fame to have meaningful lives: People can have full lives in Norvelt. Since Jack’s family stays in Norvelt for the time being, they absorb the lessons that Miss Volker imparts through the obituaries.
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