Blog #3

 

I believe Adeline’s father and siblings acted the way they did because they were both acknowledging her place of submission.  In a way I believe the relationship between PLT and Jackie the dog was a representation of the relationship between Adeline and her father.  Thus as Adaline watched the dog tear apart her duck it perfectly showed the torn and death like state between her and her father’s relationship.  As for Adeline’s siblings, they and even her Aunt Baba refused to make eye contact with her thus showing their silent allegiance to the father and his way of displaying his alpha dominance.  I believe that Adeline’s siblings felt that she held the lowest position in the house and the father used her as an example to assert his dominance, and in a sense saying that he would rip into anyone who disobeyed him.         

Big Sister at first was aligned with her siblings against Niang, however she always expressed her jealously of the other siblings who were on Niang’s good side.  It seemed that when Big Sister got her chance to be on Niang’s good side she took it with pleasure and enjoyed the new power she had.  The more Big Sister tastes the power of Niang, the more she enjoys it.  Big Sister sees the respectful fear that Niang gets from the family and others, and she too seems to desire it.  When Big Sister gets her chance she displays her desire to be just like her step mother she shows it plain and clear, and seems to be quite pleased with herself at the end of chapter 12.