Seeds Of Hope

      I thoroughly enjoyed the ending of Tom Franklin’s “Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter”, as it provided a satisfying conclusion to the main conflict.  After having to endure the infantile, presumptive population of Chabot for 272 pages, I am glad to finally see them inherit some level of intelligence and deduce the real criminals, albeit after twenty-five years.  When Larry “checked himself out” of the hospital, he not only literally exhibited an exeunt from his medical injuries, but also figuratively left behind decades rife with suspicion and isolation (269).  Franklin uses the hospital as a symbol for physical and spiritual convalescence to highlight Larry’s gradual removal from the negative eye of the public.  Instead of running away to cavort in another state, Silas thankfully admits his involvement in the Cindy Walker case and allows Larry to remove his communal shackles of oppression.  While I am slightly annoyed that it took so long for one man to fess up, I am content that it at least occurred.  Now, Larry can begin to recover and start living the life stolen from him as a young teenager.  And even more importantly, Larry can also reconnect with his lost boyhood friend.  When Silas asks if Larry “needs a ride”, he makes a laudable attempt to reach out to a person he has damaged so injudiciously (270).  The author creates pathos by evoking an emotion of joy from those previously betrayed by their close friends.   Silas’ concise, but genuine, good deed indirectly characterizes him as compassionate and truly sorry.  After the drive back home, Larry “thanks Silas” and returns to his home feeling accepted for the first time (271).  The grateful tone of Larry proliferates a mood of relief and showcases Larry opening his heart to the world.  I find optimism in the fact that even after a plethora of life altering bad decisions, two adults can admirably ignore human fault and once again find the spark that made them friends in the first place.  Setting the immature fight they had as children aside, Larry and Silas can now let their friendship slowly evolve into something deeply intrapersonal—an inspirational feat that should serve as a precedent for the resolution of all petty squabbles. 

Tsk Tsk: A Severe Reprimand Is In Order

      If I could step into the book, I would like to give the residents of Chabot a well-deserved tirade and display to them the obvious innocence of Larry Ott.  Driven by rampant misconceptions, they have treated Larry unjustly for twenty-five years of his life.  Merging the reputation of Larry with circumstantial evidence, an entire town has convinced itself that a good citizen has committed murderous atrocities.  The moment that Larry decided to “see if [Cindy Walker] was home safe” spurred a quarter of a century of hatred, leading to copious abandonment and mistrust (133).  Franklin uses Larry as a synecdoche for Chabot’s blame and insecurities in order to highlight the stupidity in believing assumptions.  Franklin makes the assertion that in times of confusion, people naturally make irrational decisions.  Amid the chaos and grief of Cindy’s death, Chabot targeted its sorrow and frustration at one person: Larry.  For the members of the Ott family, their lives at that point had frozen “as if in a picture”, scorned by their fellow neighbors and cast into eternal shame (136).  Franklin employs the simile for the Ott’s situation to accentuate how ridicule can immobilize its victims.  Overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation, Larry’s parents fell into depression and never return to their former selves.  The Otts need an advocate on their side, someone who can bridge the gap.  Without this advocate or any conclusive evidentiary support, Chabot townspeople will always  falsely think they ‘“know who…raped… and killed [Cindy]”’ (179).  The situational irony of how the supposed killer in actuality has never hurt a human being creates pathos by evoking a sentiment of indignation from persons who have experienced unwarranted prejudice.   While reading “Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter”, I found myself mentally shouting in a fit of anger at how people treat Larry.  I want to set the record straight in Chabot and reveal the need for a massive amount of apology letters.  The fact that Larry has retained his sanity for so long truly amazes me, but I believe that he can live dejected only for so long.  Whenever a scenario like Larry’s presents itself, people close to the suspect should trust their instincts over rumor.

That's What Friends Are For

        Since the beginning of time, humans have always struggled in their quest to interact with one another.  Differing dispositions, contrasting body features, and disparate communication skills all contribute to infighting and unacceptance.  Yes, everyone possesses individuality—and this individuality certainly does not always lead to societal integration.  In Tom Franklin’s novel “Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter”, the main character Larry Ott presents a unique personage.  A voracious reader and an avid snake catcher, Larry has particular interests that set him apart from his classmates and family.  But even with these idiosyncrasies, if I could, I would still befriend Larry because I strongly believe that everyone deserves a friendship to support them in life.  Treated with abuse because of his uncommon mannerisms, Larry had “become an expert at reading” the disapproval of his parents (39).  Franklin indirectly characterizes Larry as reticent in order to underscore his social removal.  The discouragement frequently produced by his father compounded with the bullying of his classmates turned Larry into a perceptive child, one who could read how others look down upon him.  The author creates pathos by evoking an emotion of sympathy from those who care about the neglected.   Living in a small, isolated town, Franklin utilizes “the community of Amos” as a symbol for isolation in order to emphasize the lack of opportunities Larry had to befriend other children his age (57).  Without the benefits of friendship or the strength of a united family, Larry developed by himself, which inadvertently further fragmented his ability to interact.  Stuck in a cyclical period of disregard from others, Larry turned inward and “stayed at home” for many years (39).  Franklin’s tone of pity constructs logos by making the argument that environmental and social confinement leads to detachment.  The only way to combat Larry’s innate sadness stems from friendship.  Although Silas Jones seems to have slowly evolved into Larry’s friend, I believe the more friends the merrier.  I would befriend Larry not only because I would want to boost his self-esteem and self-worth, but also because Larry truly seems like a nice person, and I cannot imagine him purposefully trying to hurt anyone.