Pigs in Heaven: Analysis of Major Characters
"Pigs in Heaven: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the intricate relationships and backgrounds of key figures in Barbara Kingsolver's novel, which explores themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of motherhood. The protagonist, Taylor Greer, is portrayed as a determined young woman from a line of strong, independent females, who faces a life-altering challenge when her adopted daughter, Turtle, is claimed by her Cherokee tribe under the Indian Child Welfare Act. Taylor’s journey underscores her struggle with self-reliance and the importance of community support.
Turtle, a profoundly affected six-year-old, embodies the trauma of her past while grappling with her cultural heritage, leading to pivotal moments of reconnection with her Cherokee roots. Alice Greer, Taylor's mother, represents another layer of resilience as she confronts her own familial ties and new romantic possibilities, while also seeking to understand her granddaughter's identity. Annawake Fourkiller, a young Cherokee lawyer, adds a dimension of social justice, balancing her idealism with personal growth as she seeks to reclaim children for the tribe.
The narrative is further enriched by characters like Cash Stillwater, Turtle's grandfather, who returns home seeking connection, and Jax, Taylor’s supportive boyfriend, who represents a different kind of love and stability. Through these characters, Kingsolver vividly illustrates the complexities of family, heritage, and the intertwining struggles faced by individuals navigating their cultural identities.
Pigs in Heaven: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
First published: 1993
Genre: Novel
Locale: Rural Kentucky; Tucson, Arizona; Heaven, Oklahoma; and Seattle, Washington
Plot: Family
Time: The 1990's
Taylor Greer, a self-reliant young woman from a long line of independent women. Born and reared in rural Kentucky by a single mother, Taylor is also determined to make it on her own. Living contentedly in Tucson, Arizona, with her boyfriend and adopted daughter Turtle, managing an auto parts store, her comfortable existence is shattered when a Cherokee lawyer claims that Turtle was adopted illegally and that the tribe has a claim on her under the Indian Child Welfare Act. Unable to bear the thought of losing her daughter, Taylor flees with Turtle, traveling aimlessly until settling in Seattle, Washington. Trying to care for and support Turtle on her own, away from family and friends, she discovers that “doing it on your own” is not necessarily an asset and that asking for and needing help can be a virtue. Taylor loves Turtle enough, finally, to face the tribe's claim on her, admitting that she needs the help of a larger community in rearing her daughter.
Turtle Greer, Taylor's six-year-old adopted Indian daughter. Turtle's alcoholic mother left her with an aunt before driving herself off a bridge, and the aunt, unable to protect the child from her abusive boyfriend, left her in the back seat of Taylor's car and fled. Named for her perpetual vicelike grip on Taylor, Turtle is painfully shy and quiet, gradually overcoming the effects of horrendous physical and sexual abuse suffered before her adoption. When Turtle finally meets her Cherokee grandfather and remembers him, Taylor realizes that Turtle cannot turn her back on her Indian heritage.
Alice Greer, Taylor's strong-minded, independent, sixty-one-year-old mother, who was reared by a tough woman who ran a hog farm for fifty years. Deserted by her husband, Alice in turn raised Taylor on her own by cleaning other people's houses. Tiring of her television-addicted current husband and feeling that she is doomed to a solitary life, she leaves him. Visiting her cousin Sugar Hornbuckle in Heaven, Oklahoma, to learn more about the Cherokee claim on her granddaughter, she discovers that she also has Indian blood and meets and falls for Cash Stillwater, Turtle's Cherokee grandfather.
Annawake Fourkiller, an idealistic young lawyer interning on an Indian Lawyer Training Grant at the Cherokee Nation Headquarters in Heaven, Oklahoma. When her mother was institutionalized for alcoholism, Annawake stayed with her uncle, but her twin brother Gabe, adopted by a white family from Texas, turned to crime and was lost to her. Feeling strongly about children lost to the tribe and eager to right a wrong done to the Cherokee nation, she pursues Taylor and Turtle, trying to learn the details of what she suspects is an illegal adoption, after seeing them on television. In the process, she learns to temper her quest for justice with heart.
Cash Stillwater, Turtle's Indian grandfather. Fleeing his home in Oklahoma after his wife's death from cancer and his daughter's suicide, Cash settles for a time in the Rocky Mountains, working as a bag boy in a health food store. Missing his people, he returns home to Heaven, where he meets and falls in love with Alice, Turtle's grandmother.
Jax, the boyfriend Taylor leaves behind in Tucson when she flees with Turtle. Named by his alcoholic mother for her favorite brand of beer, Jax is a tall, lanky rock musician whose band, the Irascible Babies, plays local dives. Totally in love with Taylor, he is agreeable, easygoing, and eager to make a life with her and her daughter.
Barbie, a Las Vegas casino waitress who accompanies Taylor and Turtle on their travels. She styles herself after the Barbie doll. She also has strong criminal tendencies, stealing from her former employer and using a color copy machine to make counterfeit twenty dollar bills.