A response about Esch and Medea in 396 words or less
Ward compares Esch to Medea in chapter ten not only to emphasize her blinding love to a clearly unfaithful man and to show the pain and anger that the "betrayal" causes, but also to emphasize her transformation from a rather meek girl into a proud, strong, and defiant woman. In the chapter, Esch confronts Manny about her pregnancy. Despite Esch's obvious and deep love for Manny, he wants nothing to do with her or his own child and leaves her heartbroken and in pain. She screams, "'I loved you!' This is Medea wielding the knife. This is Medea cutting. I rake my fingernails across his face, leave pink scratches that turn red, fill with blood." Esch, in her rage and anguish, exacts a sort of revenge on Manny, and makes him pay for his betrayal. Medea does the same thing when she finds out that Jason became engaged to another woman. She exacted revenge by killing his bride-to-be and, later, her own sons. Both women were immensely infatuated with unfaithful men, and were devastated by the betrayals they suffered. This point also marks fairly dramatic character shifts for both women. In exacting their revenge, they no longer become the weaker one in their relationships with their respective men. Instead, they both become the one with the power: the power to impose their will. Esch's altercation with Manny, in addition to the devastating storm she endures, shapes Esch into a powerful and independent woman.
This is an artistic representation of Jason and Medea by John William Waterhouse, an artist famous for his works on Greek heroes and Arthurian legends, in 1907. The couple are in Colchis, where Medea is giving Jason the ointment that he needs to overcome the golden bulls and succeed in his quest.
This represents Esch at the end of the novel as a woman strong enough to overcome all the challenges that she will have to face. The days preceding the end of the novel were incredibly cruel to Esch. She lost her house, her love, her dog, and now has to deal with the reality of being a single teen mother. She isn't, however, beaten down by the weight of her life. Instead, she has used the last few days to make her strong enough to cope with all of the challenges that she will face, and she will triumph.
This is an artistic representation of Jason and Medea by John William Waterhouse, an artist famous for his works on Greek heroes and Arthurian legends, in 1907. The couple are in Colchis, where Medea is giving Jason the ointment that he needs to overcome the golden bulls and succeed in his quest.
This represents Esch at the end of the novel as a woman strong enough to overcome all the challenges that she will have to face. The days preceding the end of the novel were incredibly cruel to Esch. She lost her house, her love, her dog, and now has to deal with the reality of being a single teen mother. She isn't, however, beaten down by the weight of her life. Instead, she has used the last few days to make her strong enough to cope with all of the challenges that she will face, and she will triumph.
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