White Oleander by Janet Fitch
"White Oleander" by Janet Fitch is a coming-of-age novel that follows the tumultuous life of Astrid Magnussen, a sensitive teenager navigating the complexities of identity and resilience in the foster care system. The story begins with Astrid's life being shattered when her mother, Ingrid, a beautiful and fiercely independent poet, is convicted of murder after killing her lover, Barry Kolker. Following this tragedy, Astrid is thrust into a series of unstable foster homes, each presenting unique challenges and shaping her understanding of love, loyalty, and betrayal.
Throughout her journey, Astrid encounters a variety of foster mothers, from the troubled and jealous Starr to the nurturing yet vulnerable Claire. Each relationship reflects the broader themes of abandonment and the quest for belonging. As Astrid grapples with her tumultuous past, she also explores her artistic identity and the impact of her mother's domineering influence. The novel intricately portrays the struggles of adolescence against a backdrop of family dysfunction, cultural diversity, and personal growth. Ultimately, "White Oleander" is a poignant exploration of how relationships, both nurturing and toxic, deeply affect one's sense of self and future aspirations.
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Subject Terms
White Oleander by Janet Fitch
- Born: November 9, 1955
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
First Published: 1999
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of plot: The 1990s
Locale: Los Angeles, California
Principal Characters
Astrid Magnussen, a sensitive teenager and artist
Ingrid Magnussen, her mother
Claire Richards, one of her foster mothers
Starr, one of her foster mothers
Ray, her lover, Starr’s boyfriend
Rena Grushenka, one of her foster mothers
Paul Trout, her boyfriend
Marvel Turlock, one of her foster mothers
Olivia Johnstone, her neighbor
Amelia Ramos, one of her foster mothers
Barry Kolker, her mother’s lover
The Story
Astrid Magnussen is in awe of her mother, Ingrid, a beautiful and talented poet who defies conventions and eschews traditional relationships. Their world is turned upside down when Ingrid falls in love with the unlikely Barry Kolker, a man who pursues her but quickly loses interest when Ingrid finally gives in to his advances. Ingrid becomes obsessed with revenge, stalking Barry and ultimately killing him with the poison of the oleander plant. Ingrid is convicted of murder, and Astrid, at age thirteen, is put into California’s foster care system.
Astrid’s first foster mother is a former stripper, recovering alcoholic, and born-again Christian named Starr. Astrid instinctively molds herself to her new surroundings, even allowing herself to become baptized in Starr’s church. Astrid relinquishes her newfound faith, however, when she falls in love with Starr’s boyfriend, "Uncle" Ray. Starr grows wary of Astrid’s beauty as Astrid, desperate for affection, begins an ongoing affair with Ray. Starr begins drinking again and assaults Astrid with a shotgun in a jealous fit of rage, seriously injuring her.
When Astrid recovers, she is placed in a foster home with Marvel and Ed Turlock. Although it quickly becomes apparent that Marvel considers Astrid little more than an unpaid babysitter for her two small children, Astrid works hard to fit in. She becomes fascinated with her neighbor, an African American woman named Olivia Johnstone. Marvel forbids contact between Astrid and Olivia, due in part to her racist beliefs and in part to her conviction that Olivia is a prostitute. Astrid pursues the friendship nonetheless, admiring the detached way in which Olivia deals with men. When Marvel discovers the friendship, she tells the foster-care agency that Astrid is a troublemaker, and Astrid is removed from the home.
Astrid is next sent to Amelia Ramos, an interior designer in Hollywood who has several girls in her care. Amelia deceives the agency into believing she is generous, but actually allows the girls only one scant meal per day, leaving them close to starvation. Astrid begins eating food out of the school cafeteria garbage cans and eventually demands a new placement, in part due to Ingrid’s urging via correspondence to stand up for herself.
Astrid’s next foster mother, Claire Richards, is a caring but needy actress whose husband often travels for work. Claire showers Astrid with attention, signing her up for special art classes and helping with her schoolwork. Astrid blossoms under Claire’s attention but feels threatened by the instability of Claire’s marriage and becomes dismayed when Claire suggests visiting Ingrid in prison. Out of jealously, Ingrid begins preying on Claire’s vulnerability, suggesting that Claire’s husband is having an affair. Astrid is devastated when Claire commits suicide by overdosing on pills and realizes that Ingrid will always selfishly try to control Astrid’s life.
Upon Claire’s death, Astrid is placed briefly in a center for foster children. Although the setting is rough and Astrid is bullied, she feels some relief after the tumultuous events of the previous years and decides to bide her time until she is eighteen and free of the foster-care system. She meets Paul Trout, a fellow artist and foster child, forming her first tentative friendship with a peer. The center’s population is transient, however, and Paul soon leaves.
Shortly thereafter, Claire is placed in her last foster home, with a Russian immigrant named Rena Grushenka. Rena fosters two other girls, including the pregnant Yvonne. In spite of her determination not to form bonds again, Astrid becomes friends with Yvonne and even agrees to accompany her to her childbirth classes and the birth itself. During this time, Astrid finishes high school and also helps Rena in her business of salvaging and reselling junk. Despite Rena’s rough kindness, Astrid has an affair with Rena’s boyfriend, even though she does not love him. Astrid also begins to have vague memories from childhood of a woman named Annie but does not know what the memories mean.
While Astrid is with Rena, a lawyer retained by Ingrid contacts Astrid, asking her to testify in a new trial that Barry Kolker was paranoid and may have committed suicide in order to frame Ingrid. Astrid agrees to lie for Ingrid in exchange for information about her birth father. Ingrid laments how cynical Astrid has become, and Astrid asks Ingrid whether she would let her refrain from testifying, thus risking Ingrid’s chance at release, if it would restore Astrid’s innocence. In her only selfless act, Ingrid agrees to release Astrid from their agreement. She also admits to Astrid that Annie was a babysitter with whom Ingrid abandoned Astrid for almost a year when she was a toddler.
Finally old enough to be on her own, Astrid tracks down Paul Trout in New York. They renew their friendship and become romantically involved, moving together to Berlin, where they live a Bohemian artist lifestyle. Partially in homage to Rena’s knack for finding beauty in discarded junk, Astrid begins collecting old suitcases and building shrines within them as tributes to all of the women who have shaped her life and character over the years.
Bibliography
Callanan, Laura. "Three Cheers for Eve: Feminism, Capitalism, and Artistic Subjectivity in Janet Fitch’s ‘White Oleander.’" Women’s Studies 37.5 (2008): 495–518. Literary Reference Center. Web. 8 July 2014. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=32874157>.
Coyne, Kris. "To Live and Write in L.A." Publishers Weekly 19 June 2006: 36. Literary Reference Center. Web. 8 July 2014. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=21320625>.
Kicinski, Judith. Rev. of White Oleander, by Janet Fitch. Library Journal 15 Apr. 1999: 143. Literary Reference Center. Web. 8 July 2014. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=1758277>.
Rev. of White Oleander, by Janet Fitch. Publishers Weekly 22 Feb. 1999: 63. Print. Literary Reference Center. Web. 8 July 2014. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=1600354>.