An insightful novel makes for an insightful post.

My completion of the novel Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter resulted in a personal insight on human habits and life's path. Author Tom Franklin, also a professor at the University of Mississippi, utilizes his intelligence and addresses a multitude of life's inevitable challenges and mysteries. Larry's ostracism and Silas's hidden secrets both serve as pivotal focal points in the novel, addressing the themes of judgement and redemption. To begin, my own sympathy for 'Scary Larry' reminded me of the dangers of judgement. After waking up (more than once) to a demolished mailbox, Larry realized: "he alone had been targeted" (231). As if the vandalism itself did not already cause enough grief, Larry's acknowledgement that the punks directed their prank directly at him heightens the intensity of the situation. The victim's misfortune creates pathos, which evokes emotion from both sides of the judgement spectrum. Franklin uses this sympathy to display his assertion that many misjudge 'different' for 'weird.' Larry's broken property symbolizes the emotional damage that results from unfair societal exclusion. This exclusion intensified Larry's responsibility within the murder mysteries, in which many of Chabot's resident blamed him by "cashing in on Larry's reputation" (224). The act of taking advantage of one's vulnerable reputation reminded me, again, of the consequences of exiling others. Living in Chagrin Falls, I tend to believe everything I hear. However, Franklins assertion encourages me to avoid automatic categorization and preconceived notions. Another insight I gained upon completion of the book was the past's responsibility for the future. Past mistakes "always seem to come back" repeatedly throughout the novel, particularly Silas's secrets (215). Silas's chance for redemption underscores Franklins assertion that the past proves inescapable and shapes the future. However, Silas's decision to free himself of guilt by resurfacing the past revealed to me the positive effects of previous wrongdoings. Franklin aims his universal themes to those across globe, and encourages them to think twice before making assumptions about others. Similarly, Franklin addresses all humankind to remind us all of the power of the past. He has certainly shaped my own views on human tendencies, making the novel worthwhile and insightful.