The Effect of Setting on the Culture in Winter's Bone Megan Gonzales-Mugaburu 12th Grade

Exploring the physical elements of a society involves digging deep in the effect it has on the culture. In the novel Winter’s Bone, Daniel Woodrell uses a plethora of resources within the natural landscape to attribute different factors that play into the evolution of this complex society. The way someone lives is dictated by their beliefs which as we see in Winter’s Bone is a very influential matter within their culture. The culture cultivated within this wild and outdoor landscape influences how the characters live and interact with each other. Relationships between the characters in Winter’s Bone can be attributed to their culture.

There are many different cliques within this dystopian world. Ree’s take on this culture differs' from other characters views, and this idea can be further explored when the author gives insight to her perspective in chapter two “So many Dolly kids were that way, ruined before they had chin hair, groomed to live outside square law and abide by the remorseless blood-soaked commandments that governed lives outside square law”. The repetition of the phrase “square law” gives more depth to the overall influence the culture has on young boys in the book. Square law refers to strict, direct laws that...