Summary
Leni Albright is the daughter of Earnt, a Vietnam POW, and Cora Albright. Leni grew up happy but didn't have any memory of the man her father was before the war. Her mother, hopelessly in love with Earnt, raised Leni with all the great stories and memories, instilling that same love into Leni. Having been a Prisoner of War, Earnt was severely changed and had several mental illnesses left undiagnosed do to the times period and the stigma. Even though he was a talented mechanic, Earnt couldn't keep a job. He had fits of rage and terrible nightmares almost every night. After a war friend died, Earnt was left a Cabin in Alaska and he decided to move his family up rather quickly.
They moved to Alaska in there old hippy van and settled in rather quickly. They fixed up their cabin, started to socialize, and establish their spot in the community. Their neighbors were all relatively friendly and taught them how to live in "the bush". Alaska seems to be everything their family needed. They live off the land, and because it's light most the time, Earnt Albright doesn't have nightmares or flashbacks. Leni gets her first real friend, Matthew, almost immediately at her new school and they grow up together. Unfortunately, Earnt felt a little threatened and put off by their neighbor, Matthews dad, and the nights grow into lasting 18 hours. Earnt's mental disorders come back with the winter and the cycles of abuse begin again.
Eventually Leni and her mother escape the abuse of Earnt and moved back to the lower 48. Leni lived some more of her life and eventually her mother passed away do to lung cancer. Leni decided that the time was finally right to move back up to Alaska. She figures out some solutions to her terrible problems and begins her life in Alaska again. Her Alaskan neighbors become her family and she reunites with her old self.
They moved to Alaska in there old hippy van and settled in rather quickly. They fixed up their cabin, started to socialize, and establish their spot in the community. Their neighbors were all relatively friendly and taught them how to live in "the bush". Alaska seems to be everything their family needed. They live off the land, and because it's light most the time, Earnt Albright doesn't have nightmares or flashbacks. Leni gets her first real friend, Matthew, almost immediately at her new school and they grow up together. Unfortunately, Earnt felt a little threatened and put off by their neighbor, Matthews dad, and the nights grow into lasting 18 hours. Earnt's mental disorders come back with the winter and the cycles of abuse begin again.
Eventually Leni and her mother escape the abuse of Earnt and moved back to the lower 48. Leni lived some more of her life and eventually her mother passed away do to lung cancer. Leni decided that the time was finally right to move back up to Alaska. She figures out some solutions to her terrible problems and begins her life in Alaska again. Her Alaskan neighbors become her family and she reunites with her old self.
Themes |
QUOTE |
Mental Illness and Abuse
Isolation and coping
The need for human relationships
|
“It’s like his back is broken, Mama had said, and you don’t stop loving a person when they’re hurt. You get stronger so they can lean on you. He needs me. Us.”
(15). Leni’s dad is a Vietnam Veteran and was a prisoner of war. He was deeply disturbed by the war and is still affected. Leni’s mom knows the man she fell in love with is still in there and needs all the help he can get.
Everyone has their broken pieces and is semi reliant on others, whether they realize it or not. As a people, everyone needs to be willing to support others when support is needed. At the same time, one needs to know when the support that is being lent is crippling one’s self.
|
Essay
The Reality of Love
Relationships, especially when it comes to love, are immensely demanding. Kristin Hannah addresses this topic several times throughout her novel, The Great Alone. She shows that, while relationships are essential to life, when love is toxic, one is too dependent on that love, or when one does not love at all, one’s reality can be troubling. Friendships, family members, and romances are all subject to the reality of love. As one understands these situations, one can more effectively love and live.
Friendship is vital to the human life experience. This need can easily be ignored in two ways; not having friendships or not having true, supportive friends. Without the outlet of friendship, isolation is indefatigable. Leni, in her isolation, “would give anything for a real friend [...] It was all she really wanted: someone to talk to.” (13). Her mental state was deteriorating without the relationship and love a friend could provide. She felt like anything was worth sacrificing if it meant she could have a friendship. Human dependency on this love and support left Leni helpless and longing. Healthy friendships aren’t the only kind of relationship that is longed for.
Parents are supposed to be loving, nurturing, protectors, and providers. For so many, parents don’t meet all or any of these standards. A toxic family isn’t that uncommon and Leni’s is on the more extreme end of toxicity. Leni expresses how “[y]ou were supposed to be safe in your own home, with your parents. They were supposed to protect you from the dangers outside” (213); and how “[t]hey were trapped, by environment and finances, but mostly by the sick, twisted love that bound her parents together” (257). Even though Leni did have the physical items she needed for life, the toxic atmosphere in her home that radiated from her parents corrupted any love, nurturing, and protection her parents could offer. In addition to toxic love from parents, not feeling any love from parents can be destructive to one’s existence as well. After Matthew’s mother fell through an iced-over river and Matthew failed to save her, he felt like his dad’s love for him “could freeze over, become a kind of thin ice all its own” (299). Without this feeling of love from his dad, Matthew fell into a pit of misery. Leni and Matthew couldn’t get out of this negative pattern until it was replaced with happiness and love for eachother.
The human race seems to be obsessed with the pursuit of romantic love, young people especially. Loving someone isn’t a problem but when one becomes dependent on that love, an issue arises. When Matthew suffers a severe injury and is left brain dead for a time, Leni describes “[h]er love for Matthew [as] elemental, as powerful as the tide. No one can hold back the tide” (427). This love is not dependent on Matthew’s ability to show his love in return. Because of this, Leni is not held back by her love but is instead pushed to continue loving and becoming a better person.
One having the ability to recognize the toxic patterns they are fixed in can be key in escaping them and the problems associated with them. Friendships, families, and love interests are all relationships that can fall victim to toxicity, dependance, or unavailability. One can learn from past and current relationships to remold or create something beautiful out of something negative. The points to consider are can one meet the demands that come with their relationships and if not, what needs to change?
Relationships, especially when it comes to love, are immensely demanding. Kristin Hannah addresses this topic several times throughout her novel, The Great Alone. She shows that, while relationships are essential to life, when love is toxic, one is too dependent on that love, or when one does not love at all, one’s reality can be troubling. Friendships, family members, and romances are all subject to the reality of love. As one understands these situations, one can more effectively love and live.
Friendship is vital to the human life experience. This need can easily be ignored in two ways; not having friendships or not having true, supportive friends. Without the outlet of friendship, isolation is indefatigable. Leni, in her isolation, “would give anything for a real friend [...] It was all she really wanted: someone to talk to.” (13). Her mental state was deteriorating without the relationship and love a friend could provide. She felt like anything was worth sacrificing if it meant she could have a friendship. Human dependency on this love and support left Leni helpless and longing. Healthy friendships aren’t the only kind of relationship that is longed for.
Parents are supposed to be loving, nurturing, protectors, and providers. For so many, parents don’t meet all or any of these standards. A toxic family isn’t that uncommon and Leni’s is on the more extreme end of toxicity. Leni expresses how “[y]ou were supposed to be safe in your own home, with your parents. They were supposed to protect you from the dangers outside” (213); and how “[t]hey were trapped, by environment and finances, but mostly by the sick, twisted love that bound her parents together” (257). Even though Leni did have the physical items she needed for life, the toxic atmosphere in her home that radiated from her parents corrupted any love, nurturing, and protection her parents could offer. In addition to toxic love from parents, not feeling any love from parents can be destructive to one’s existence as well. After Matthew’s mother fell through an iced-over river and Matthew failed to save her, he felt like his dad’s love for him “could freeze over, become a kind of thin ice all its own” (299). Without this feeling of love from his dad, Matthew fell into a pit of misery. Leni and Matthew couldn’t get out of this negative pattern until it was replaced with happiness and love for eachother.
The human race seems to be obsessed with the pursuit of romantic love, young people especially. Loving someone isn’t a problem but when one becomes dependent on that love, an issue arises. When Matthew suffers a severe injury and is left brain dead for a time, Leni describes “[h]er love for Matthew [as] elemental, as powerful as the tide. No one can hold back the tide” (427). This love is not dependent on Matthew’s ability to show his love in return. Because of this, Leni is not held back by her love but is instead pushed to continue loving and becoming a better person.
One having the ability to recognize the toxic patterns they are fixed in can be key in escaping them and the problems associated with them. Friendships, families, and love interests are all relationships that can fall victim to toxicity, dependance, or unavailability. One can learn from past and current relationships to remold or create something beautiful out of something negative. The points to consider are can one meet the demands that come with their relationships and if not, what needs to change?