Stereotypes In Wish You Well

More often than not, Appalachia catches a bad reputation for being known as an area full of “dumb, ignorant hillbillies”, when the reality is far from that. In David Baldacci’s novel, Wish You Well, the reader is introduced to a one-of-a-kind, sweet, ginger, mountain kid named Jimmy “Diamond” Skinner. He is carefree and seemingly unafraid of anything, going so far as to cross a gorge on a log, sliding under a train that can begin to move at any minute, and has had a fair share of confrontations with a bear. While Diamond is very fun and adventurous, he has never been formally educated. This would easily make the reader believe that he fits the exact stereotype that I mentioned earlier, however, that is not the case.
Living on “the mountain”,

With no possessions, requirements or responsibilities, he had a lot of time on his hands, so he would look at the stars. On page 191, Diamond takes Lou and Oz to a place that was “God done touched the Earth”. They sat by this beautiful waterfall with tons of phosphorus rock and stargazed. They begin to discuss the names of stars. Lou mentions she knows The Big Dipper and Pegasus. Diamond says “Ain’t never heardá none of them….Turn your head a little and right there’s what I call the bear what missing one leg. And over to there’s the stone chimbly. And right there- now right there is Jesus a’sitting next to God. Only God ain’t there, cause he off doing good. Cause he God. But you see the chair.” This scene of the book really adds to the buildup of his personality by displaying his unique way of thinking without proper teaching.

In the least cliché way, possible, Diamond was a diamond in the rough. Underneath his greasy, cow-lick filled, red hair and grimy overalls, he showed readers everywhere that intelligence and happiness are not based on education. “Diamond Skinner had had no material possessions to his name and yet had been the happiest creature Lou had ever met. He and God would no doubt get along famously.” Page