To what extent do you think capitalism is a key aspect of White Oleander? Was Rena being from Russia a deliberate choice to highlight the difference between capitalism and communism? But when the October Revolution sweeps away the short-lived liberal government in which her father is a member, the girl who has itched to break free of all constraints finds herself forcibly expelled from her family, to live at 17 as an independent woman and a poet among poets, a citizen among citizens in a time of chaos and possibility.

English is not my first language, so I hope you understand the bottom line of what I want to tell you. White Oleander‚ a flower‚ a hearty-but-poisonous flower whose beauty makes it appear deceptively fragile. This flower‚ can stand has a metaphor for Ingrid. Ingrid is strong‚ beautiful‚ and self-possessed‚ but she acts as a poison to everyone around her‚ especially her impressionable daughter‚ Astrid‚ who idolizes her mother. An universal theme in this story is the that of a child trying to escape from the pernicious influence of a misguided parent. It continues to develop into a story over dominance I am appalled by the worldview presented in this book. Yet the circumstances surrounding Ingrid, a poetess who goes to prison for murder are so artificial! Plot looks at how gender, race, class, sexuality, ability/disability, ethnicity, nationality, etc. shape us and our views of the world Always learn poems by heart. They have to become the marrow in your bones. Like fluoride in the water, they'll make your soul impervious to the world's soft decay.”Astrid Magnussen: the main character, she is twelve years old when the novel opens. Artistic, shy and in the sway of her manipulative mother. The novel depicts her loss of naivety, sexual awakening, and attempts at self-definition. Janet Fitch was born in Los Angeles, a third-generation native, and grew up in a family of voracious readers. As an undergraduate at Reed College, Fitch had decided to become an historian, attracted to its powerful narratives, the scope of events, the colossal personalities, and the potency and breadth of its themes. But when she won a student exchange to Keele University in England, where her passion for Russian history led her, she awoke in the middle of the night on her twenty-first birthday with the revelation she wanted to write fiction. "I wanted to Live, not spend my life in a library. Of course, my conception of being a writer was to wear a cape and have Adventures." She has acquired a couple of capes since then, and a few adventure Janet Fitch was born in Los Angeles, a third-generation native, and grew up in a family of voracious readers. As an undergraduate at Reed College, Fitch had decided to become an historian, attracted to its powerful narratives, the scope of events, the colossal personalities, and the potency and breadth of its themes. But when she won a student exchange to Keele University in England, where her passion for Russian history led her, she awoke in the middle of the night on her twenty-first birthday with the revelation she wanted to write fiction. "I wanted to Live, not spend my life in a library. Of course, my conception of being a writer was to wear a cape and have Adventures." She has acquired a couple of capes since then, and a few adventures. And books. In court, everything turns into the most unexpected way. Astrid should go into the courtroom, and when the meeting is declared closed, the girl suddenly realizes that her mother has fulfilled her request, “letting the girl go”, as she wished. Astrid moves to Berlin, Germany together with Paul, occasionally remembering her mother Ingrid and her past life. Despite all sufferings and pain caused by Astrid, Ingrid loves her daughter. She still misses her mother and California, and sometimes Astrid sends letters to her mom, but she decides to stay in Europe with Paul. Update this section! Janet Fitch was born in Los Angeles, a third-generation native, and grew up in a family of voracious readers. As an undergraduate at Reed College, Fitch had decided to become an historian, attracted to its powerful narratives, the scope of events, the colossal personalities, and the potency and breadth of its themes. But when she won a student exchange to Keele University in England, where her passion for Russian history led her, she awoke in the middle of the night on her twenty-first birthday with the revelation she wanted to write fiction. "I wanted to Live, not spend my life in a library. Of course, my conception of being a writer was to wear a cape and have Adventures." She has acquired a couple of capes since then, and a few adventures. And books. But most importantly, it's a space for people to come together and discuss literature with other feminists!

If evil means to be self-motivated, to be the center of one’s own universe, to live on one’s own terms, then every artist, every thinker, every original mind, is evil. Because we dare to look through our own eyes rather than mouth clichés lent us from the so-called Fathers.”Isn't it funny. I'm enjoying my hatred so much more than I ever enjoyed love. Love is temperamental. Tiring. It makes demands. Love uses you, changes its mind. But hatred, now, that's something you can use. Sculpt. Wield. It's hard, or soft, however you need it. Love humiliates you, but Hatred cradles you.” I know what you are learning to endure. There is nothing to be done. Make sure nothing is wasted. Take notes. Remember it all, every insult, every tear. Tattoo it on the inside of your mind. In life, knowledge of poisons is essential. I've told you, nobody becomes an artist unless they have to.” The mesmerizing story of a young girl who gets tossed around the American foster care system after her mother is arrested for murdering a former lover. The writing is absolutely intoxicating. I can see why this one got so popular after its release.

It is too real, too raw, to conform to anyone’s preconceived notion of beauty. And yet Fitch makes it sing, with her beautiful, simple words.And if you've read one of my earlier books, you know that the inner lives and moral development of women is my greatest obsession. How the decisions a young girl makes, the actions she takes based upon the conclusions she draws, create the woman she becomes. I fiercely admire the strength that young women bring to their search for self. The Revolution of Marina M. is the story of a girl's coming of age during one of the most turbulent historical upheavals in the modern epoch. At the beginning of her first real encounter with calamity‚ Astrid is inundated with a deluge of emotions‚ leaving her dazed. It is during this time I'm pretty sure I know where that embarrassment comes from, too: it's rooted in some pretty deep-level misogyny and discomfort about my most womany womanliness, or something like that anyway....

Ingrid Magnussen: Astrid's manipulative mother, who is jailed early in the novel for her murder of her lover Barry. When with Astrid, she often forgets she has a daughter and focuses on her eclectic art. Later, she attempts to control Astrid from jail. In 2017, an audio drama adaptation of White Oleander was released as part of Audible's Modern Classics series. The cast included Annette Bening, Alison Pill, Alfred Molina, and Marcia Gay Harden. Her relationship with and hold on Astrid was also captivating. The way she reacted to Astrid's relationship with Claire...So counter cultural from what one would expect from a "good" mother. Claire Richards: Astrid's fourth foster mother, who notices Astrid's artistic talent and encourages her to pursue school. Claire has a weak relationship with her husband, poor self-esteem, and commits suicide after encouragement from Ingrid. thanks for the add, janet! i love white oleander! the references in and around los angeles really amused me since i grew up in the area. my friend and i were really excited about the thrifty in alhambra, haha. :)Did you take inspiration from/research any particular poetry when writing Ingrid's poetry? You mention Dante and reference a wide range of other authors; did you read up on this in advance to decide what sorts of poetry Ingrid would have known about and liked? The poet who informed Ingrid's voice the most was Anne Sexton. I'm a huge Sexton fan, I hear [Ingrid's] tone very much like that. But no, I didn't read up or research these authors, I heard them, they're like music inside me. Ingrid was aware of the entire canon, she was an educated woman, it was all already there. I knew, I could feel, who she would be attracted to, who she would embody. My protagonist, Marina Makarova, is a young poet the same age as the century, fiery and headstrong with an enormous love of life. We meet her in 1916, in the midst of the First World War, as Russia sinks further and further into military disaster, economic stress and social unrest. The daughter of a liberal intelligentsia family, Marina comes to champion the cause of the suffering underclass. As the old world begins to unravel, she finds a new freedom in which to explore a new self, testing the boundaries of her life, both politically and personally. The relationship with her mother, naturally is the most important. Her mother has both wounded her irredeemably and given her the strength to transcend those wounds. her attachment to Paul Trout, to a good kid her own age, is also extremely important. It's the only really healthy relationship she has. I don't want to squirm when I'm reading, and I read for pleasure. Is there a market for books like this? Of course there is. And I've got nothing against people who like this book. But should they lap it up like it's licorice? As the narrative progresses, Astrid grows and learns from her experiences. In the process of understanding and interpreting the world around her she channels her energy and emotions into her own creative pursuits. Though she learns to harden her heart, she does not completely lose herself, as we see in how she interacts with fellow foster students and how in her own way, though not quite in the manner she had hoped, she tries to find her place in the world. In her journey of self-discovery she also comes to terms with how she truly feels about her mother.