Winter's Bone

Ree slowly wakes to the sounds of shovels. She feels herself lifted and thrown onto new ground that smells like a barn. She quickly ascertains that she has lost two teeth and fumbles to find them amongst the straw. Mrs. Thump and the other women speak to each other above her, agreeing that Ree must have inherited her mother’s insanity since she dared to come back to Thump Milton’s house. Ree feels the weight of such accusations and mumbles, “I ain’t crazy, I ain’t crazy” (132) in response. Mrs. Thump reprimands Ree for not listening to her warning to stay away, but Ree replies, “I can’t listen. I can’t just listen” (132). As Ree begins to move, she realizes that other members of the community are also in the barn listening to their conversation.

Megan approaches Ree and sadly asks what they are going to do with her. When Ree rather flippantly retorts that they could either kill her or help her, Megan sorrowfully tells her, “I tried to help you some the other day, and this is what come of that” (133). Megan leaves Ree’s side as Thump Milton enters the barn and approaches Ree as she lies on the floor.