Bless the Beasts and Children

Erwin McManus discussed his desires saying, “It’s hard to define the things inside my heart.” Desire is one of the major topics in our society; people see an object, be it tangible or intangible, that they have to have and they think about it. Everyone has his or her desires: we all are human. Sometimes though, it is hard to clearly discern what we want. Sometimes we want something and not even realize we want it. Glendon Swarthout is one author who writes about this frequently. One novel that stands out among all the rest is his Bless the Beast and Children. Throughout the pages of Swarthout’s novel the desires of the characters come up, not only directly, but also in very indirect ways. Sometimes the characters themselves don’t even realize they want it. Accordingly, Glendon Swarthout’s Bless the Beast and Children exemplifies desire throughout the novel.

One incident that represents desire appears when Goodenow is about to commit suicide. Goodenow went to a lake and “waded in up to his chin, and stood sobbing an intention to drown himself” (6). This incident reveals Goodenow’s desire to end his life. Goodenow has been bullied all his life by various people, including his step dad. At the camp, he is kicked out of two cabins because he wets the bed; he suffers this because of the abuse he takes from everybody. This adds insult to injury and causes him to snap. Second, this also illustrates Goodenow’s desire to make the boys feel guilty. Many of the boys make Goodenow’s life a living hell and they are unapologetic for it; however, Goodenow is going to make them feel guilty by making the boys realize that he killed himself because of them. Lastly, this also represents Goodenow’s desire to deny that things are going to get better....

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...ring for him he has to find something to care for and by talking to the horse he is, in a nutshell, caring for it. So, as the reader can see, desire is a recurring theme that permeates the novel.

Therefore, desire is one of the major themes of Bless the Beast and Children. Occasionally, the character did know what he wanted, such as Goodenow. Other times, the character didn’t realize that he wanted something, as is the case with Lally 2. Lastly, it showcases someone’s immaturity, in the case of Cotton’s mom. Yet some people may wonder why this is so relevant in today’s world. These kids’ desires are fueled mostly by the absence of something, or someone. These kids’ predicaments and desires are meant to make us appreciate what we have in our lives. Many of us have parents who love us and care about us. So when we get home we should thank our parents for all they do.