Analysis Of I Am One Of You Forever

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I Am One of You Forever by Fred Chappell tells a story of a young boy’s coming of age in a small Appalachian town in North Carolina. Though the novel is mainly about Jess’s personal growth, his father Joe Robert matures right alongside him. Stefan Dziemianowicz writes, “Chappell 's stories often focus on family relationships, notably fathers and sons embarked on rites of passage from childhood innocence to adult experience” (Dziemianowicz). Many scholars criticize Joe Robert and say that he’s immature and reckless. Others like John Lang disagree saying, “In the endearing, vividly imagined Joe Robert, Chappell has produced just such a figure, a character of heroic dimensions whose quest for truth . . . both delights and enlightens (Lang 243). Over the course of I Am One of You Forever Joe Robert grows as a person and as a father. The book begins by describing the Kirkman family. Jess’s mother Cora works as a schoolteacher while Joe Robert and Jess take care of the home. The first impression the reader gets of Joe Robert is of his love and devotion to his wife Cora. His first endeavor is to surprise Cora with a gift when she returns from visiting family. He and Jess plant a vegetable garden and build a bridge over the stream in their backyard. His enthusiasm, …show more content…

Johnson had become a member of their family. Losing him was like losing a son. Joe Robert had taken on the role of father figure already but “The Telegram” marks the point where he really begins to grow up and look at life as an adult. Loss and grief are inevitable parts of life and they jolt Joe Robert into awareness. At first he resists the news just like the rest of the family does but one by one they come to accept it. The book says Cora took it the hardest but the grief of losing Johnson stays with Joe Robert for some time. The Kirkmans never once blame Joe Robert for Johnson’s

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