A Strength Within

             I chose to analyze one of the opening scenes in the movie where the sheriff comes to talk to Ree’s mother about her father’s whereabouts.  I chose this scene because it sets up the whole plot line for the movie and is our first real glimpse into Ree’s personality.  When the sheriff first pulls up to the house Ree moves to the porch and stands in front of the door.  This could symbolize Ree’s determination to stand her ground and protect her family from any kind of harm.  After the sheriff is unsuccessful when trying to talk to Ree’s mother, Ree tells him “You better just tell me.”  This shows us that Ree is clearly the one in charge of the family.  She is running it and essentially is the head of the family.  When the sheriff informs Ree about the terms of her father’s bond and the fact that her family could lose their home it’s like punch in the gut.  She has no idea.  You can tell this by her initial reaction when she blurts out “He what now?” But despite this Ree’s true personality comes through and she quickly recovers.  Instead of crumpling with defeat and despair over her family’s unknown future, she remains determined and strong and tells the sheriff that she will find him.  The sheriff warns her that he hasn’t been able to do this yet but she remains unfazed and repeats “I’ll find him” without a hint of doubt in her voice.

Ree does more than just say things.  She follows though.  She knew that finding her daddy would be hard but she set out to do it anyway.  She took risks along the way and stuck her nose into some dangerous situations, even getting herself brutally beat up for it, but she kept on looking.  Even when it became clear that her daddy was probably dead, she still worked to find his body and determine what really happened to him.  She even went as far as to go with the women who had beat her so badly when they offered to take her to her daddy’s bones.  She must have been terrified which she shows by her use of the gun as protection, but despite this, she puts down the gun and takes a chance that these women may lead her to her daddy’s body.  She remains strong right through the gut-wrenching moment when she finally finds her father and is forced to cut off his hands.  Ree’s attempt to find her father and the truth finally paid off because of her unwavering determination and the strength she found inside her.