Analysis Of Pigs In Heaven By Barbara Kingsolver

With America today people constantly struggle with identity. Especially minorities who are persistently pushing themselves to be a part of the American dream. Everyone wants a piece of the pie; however still many minorities are not treated equally, or respected. Kingsolver in her novel, Pigs In Heaven establishes Annawake as a Cherokee representative. She seemingly portrays her as the predator in the chapters. It is apparent through the novel that Annawake makes all her decisions out of her love for the Cherokee tribe and her brother Gabe, while Taylor commits to her choices through Turtle. Annawake does not appreciate the bond of mother and child;therefore disregarding Taylor's feelings of keeping Turtle.
According to the novel ,Pigs In Heaven, Kingsolver portrays Annawake as a person who would stop at nothing to preserve her Cherokee tribe. She finds out through Oprah Winfrey that a little Cherokee girl has been illegally adopted by a white woman name Taylor. Annawake is so enraged that she starts yelling at the T.V. She even states to Jinny the "Indian child welfare act. You can't adopt an Indian kid without tribal permission". (Kingsolver, pg 55) Subsequently leading the readers to predict that she would make it difficult for

Taylor to keep Turtle. Annawake is portrayed as a cold hearted monster, because she has detached herself from the bond of mother and child. She is projecting her feelings for the loss of her brother and how the white people took away her other half;therefore she is not able to see the bigger picture.
Annawake is so blinded with saving every Cherokee child from the hands of the white people that she doesn't see Taylor as a savior, but an intrusion to her culture.

Taylor was handed Turtle and she even states how "The woman told me Turtle's mother was dead, and that somebody had been hurting Turtle". (Kingsolver, pg 55) Taylor not even wanting to have children, even running away from Kentucky to prevent her from "....having babies up to her ears..." (Kingsolver, pg 54) ended up taking care of Turtle through the act of Maternal Instinct. Annawake now expects Taylor to ask for tribal permission when the tribe wasn't there for Turtle when she was getting abused. The readers and Taylor perceive this unfair and just plain

wrong.
Taylor is capable of providing Turtle a loving home. She makes all her decisions through the preferences of Turtle. She even agreed to take a plane to see Oprah, because "she has no choice, but to follow her daughter into this new life she's claimed from a fortune cookie." (Kingsolver, pg 45) This proves that Taylor is always looking for the best interest of her child and would sacrifice almost anything to make her happy. Juxtaposition Annawake who wants to take Turtle back to provide her an identity that would make her stronger in defending herself from the prejudices of society, while taking her away from the unconditional love that Taylor is providing for her. Which leads the readers to villainize Annawake.
Taylor's love for Turtle has no limits. She is so blinded like a deer in a headlight.She would fraudulent papers in order for Taylor to adopt Turtle. Which in hindsight may cost her the right to keep Turtle. Annawake is aware of her discretions since she has seen the flaws of the adoption case. Even stating, "I have a mystery parent. Two of them. The transfer of custody was witnessed by a notary in Oklahoma city, who had no business with this kind of placement. The parents are listed as Steven and Hope two-two..." (Kingsolver, pg 67) which leads the readers to distrust Annawake's intentions. Assuming that she very well is too smart for her own good, she must be aware of the emotional bond she is ripping away from Turtle and Taylor. Kingsolver establishes Annawake as an antagonist in Taylor's life, because of her apathetic attitude towards Taylor's relations to Turtle.
Annawake makes the drive to Oklahoma to confront Taylor about how her adoption to Turtle is ineligible. Taylor doesn't take the news pleasantly, like no mother would. In that scene Kingsolver establishes how similar Annawake and Taylor are. There is a disparity between both their views; however they both believe that they have the best interest at heart. In essence, they are in cross roads. Annawake eventually loses her cool and retorts "How can you think it's good for a tribe to lose it's children", (Kingsolver, pg 79) leading the readers to understand Anawake; however still sympathizing towards Taylor. Taylor was the one who took Turtle in when she was "a bruised apple", (Kingsolver, pg 79) so it would only be fair for her to continue taking care of her. Annawake had no reason to interfere considering how she decided to take this case on her own, without her boss's approval. Leading the readers to believe Annawake's predatory stance to destroy a relationship between mother and child .
In essence, Annawake offers Turtle the knowledge of the Cherokee people; however taking her away from Taylor. Basically Annawake is living a contradiction, because she states “A third of all our kids were still being taken from their families and adopted into white homes. One of three”. (Kingsolver, pg 79.) Yet she is trying to take Turtle from Taylor. Annawake is bias in the sense that she is stuck on the mindset that she is the victim. When actuality she is the one replicating the malevolent actions of the white people, by causing a rift into Taylor’s and Turtle’s life. Kingsolver establishes Annawake as the antagonist perfectly. She even gives the readers second thoughts about her role in the novel with the fact that she loss her brother to a white family; however it does not justified the actions of her taking Turtle away from her mother.