Winter's Bone

Ree’s consciousness dips in and out, and she realizes that she is sitting in Teardrop’s truck with him. As Ree struggles to regain awareness, Teardrop informs her that he is tired of waiting for retaliation by the Hawkfall clan; he plans on acting first to gauge their reaction. Teardrop reveals his plan to take her to Buster Leroy’s house, and for the remaining drive Ree falls into a whiskey and pill-induced sleep.

Again, struggling for consciousness, Ree realizes they have arrived at a gas station where Teardrop speaks to Buster Leroy and two women. The two women—Kitty Thurtell and Jean Dolly—approach Ree and sympathize over her injuries. Jean alludes to the Hawkfall women’s actions as cowardly, at which point Kitty tells her to speak such thoughts quietly, even if they were truthful. They leave, and Ree returns to sleep.

Awakening, Ree goes in search for Teardrop in a nearby tavern. She finds him speaking to a bartender about her injuries, and she continues to sit and drink whiskey in disregard of the bartender’s warning that her presence might cause undue attention from the other men. Ree begins to feel nauseated and leaves the bar, with Teardrop following her. As they drive away, Ree vomits. Teardrop, who is currently sleep-deprived and strung out on meth, suddenly stops the vehicle and turns around to return to the bar after deciding that he did not like the way the bartender said something to him. Once back at the tavern, Teardrop takes an ax from his truck, found the right sedan, and slams the ax through the car’s windshield several times. Once he returns to his truck, he tells Ree that the man was “sort of sassy-soundin’” (169) and asks if she has any pills that might alleviate some of his intoxication.

Though Ree asks to return home, Teardrop drives to an abandoned family cemetery. Teardrop haltingly and disjointedly explains that the cemetery has been a favorite place for the Dollys’ cover-ups and that they should look for new graves. However, as it’s snowing heavily, he decides it would be best to return a different night.

The two drive through the snowstorm until they are pulled over by Baskin, the deputy, who demands that Teardrop turn off the car and get out, keeping his hands visible. Teardrop refuses and demands to know who Baskin told about his involvement with Jessup. At this, Baskin draws his pistol and reminds Teardrop that he has given him a lawful order. Teardrop only laughs in reply and prepares his rifle, asking Baskin, “Is this goin’ to be our time?” (173). Then, Teardrop calmly drives home, leaving Baskin kneeling on the road in the snow. 

In the morning, as Ree recovers from her hangover, she begins sorting through old family paraphernalia and photographs with her brothers. Her brothers, who never knew their mother when she was happier, are fascinated by the photographs of her brightly dressed, smiling and dancing. Ree begins to sort through the old, forgotten objects that clutter the house and need to be burned. She gathers clothes from her mother’s closet and gives them to the boys to burn outside as well. As the clothes burn, Ree sees Sonya watching the fire from the house and waving at the boys. Although Harold notices Sonya’s wave immediately and returns it, she waves for several minutes before Sonny finally sees her and waves back. Ree watches the ash blend into the sky and disappear.