White Oleander by Janet Fitch Analysis

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Literary Analysis: "White Oleander: by Janet Fitch
The novel ‘White Oleander’ was written by Janet Fitch in the year 1999. The novel is a representation of the social challenges that a child under foster care goes through. The social challenges in the novel create a sympathetic tone throughout the story whereby the novel tries to find a solution towards the social challenges. The story in the novel entails the life of a young woman who struggles to grow up and go through social challenges. The young woman in the novel is known as Astrid Magnussen. She comes of age through a series of social hardships that make her strong in her life (Fitch 5). She at times mourned her hardships but she had to focus on her future through perseverance. The suffering of Astrid in the novel presents the theme of helplessness in the novel’s plot. Besides Astrid, there are other characters who re helpless in one of the novel’s situations. The essay aims at showing the theme of helplessness as presented by various characters in the novel and more specifically as presented by Astrid.
Helplessness is a term that is used to define a condition of lack of support that one faces due to ignorance of others to assist, life situations or even ones environment. Helplessness creates a more sorrowful tone when experienced at it leaves an individual in a displeased state. In the novel ‘White Oleander’, there are various instances that characters are in a state of being helpless. In fact, Fitch states that “loneliness is a human condition. Cultivate it” (122). The novel’s main character and narrator, Astrid, who has faced several instances of being lonely and helpless. However, there are other characters that have experienced a helpless state. One of them is Barry, Ingrid’s ex-boyfriend who experienced suffering under his relationship with Ingrid. Ingrid was an uncaring fiancée whereby she mistreated Barry. This is one of the instances whereby Barry was helpless (Fitch18). Despite their relationship, Barry was always in discomfort. Therefore, he always yearned for a break up with Ingrid but he was helpless to request for one. He got the chance for the break up and preceded thinking that that would be the end of his troubles. This however marked the beginning of his main suffering, his death. During the death of Barry, he was helpless as nothing could be done to prevent his death. He was coldly murdered by his ex-girlfriend due to the jealous nature of Ingrid on the break up. The killing of Barry was done through the poisoning of Barry using the white oleander flower by Ingrid. After Barry’s death, he is again rendered as helpless because justice on his death is not realized. Ingrid is set free of prison innocent of the murder through the use of the argument that Barry had committed suicide upon himself. Therefore, Barry’s helplessness in his situations was heartfelt whereby he was always disadvantaged. The helplessness of Barry makes him to be weak thereby resulting to his death.
Ingrid is another character with a demanding challenge of helplessness. Ingrid looks to be a superior character in the novel but she ...