Survival in a Cruel World; A reflection of White Oleander

increasingly more difficult to live in. It is becoming a place where survival is very impor-

tant and it has become the main focus of people’s lives. People have discovered many

ways of coping in today’s cruel world and have developed new ideas of dealing with

the issues that they face in their everyday lives. In Janet Fitch’s novel, White Oleander,

she creates characters who demonstrate the many ways that people survive today.

Some choose to survive by lashing out on others, taking their anger and pain out on

people who do not deserve it. Others choose to change their personality or appear-

ance to create a new form of themselves, one who can cope with the troubles that they

are facing. Some people need to feel superior over others in order to survive. Others

have to hit bottom before they realize how to survive or even that they want to survive.

Perhaps Fitch’s main goal was to show people that the true method people need in

killing him with poisonous flowers. When Ingrid is in jail, she learns that Astrid is living

Fitch carries her theme not only through the characters but with her storyline as well. With

home, Astrid’s main goal is simply to survive, and in each one she must find some way of doing

Some topics in this essay:
White Oleander, Fitch Claire, Astrid Ingrid, Marvel Astrid’s, , Somehow Astrid, Claire Astrid’s, White Oleander’s, Janet Fitch’s, main goal, people survive, survive today’s, foster parent, simply survive,