MovieChat Forums > Winter's Bone (2010) Discussion > Sexual abuse in impoverished, rural area...

Sexual abuse in impoverished, rural areas / "She don't shine for them"

posted 8 years ago by JohnnyBlades
8 replies | jump to latest

The delivery of that line seriously creeps me out every time I see this movie. Did anyone else feel as if Ree was trying to hint at Sonia and 'Blonde' (Sonya's husband) having some weird, sexual interest in Sonny (Ree's brother)?

Physical abuse, spousal abuse, drug abuse, and alcohol abuse were all explicitly referenced to (and sometimes displayed) many times in this movie. Sexual abuse was not, however.

From what I know of impoverished rural areas, though, RATES of sexual abuse are extremely high. And I've had 3-4 very good friends I've had that were raised in economically-depressed, rural areas, and every single one of them was in some way sexually abused as a child / young-teenager. The perpetrators were almost always male, but there was even a good guy friend of mine who was sexually assaulted by two women (in their 30s) when he was 10. Very sad but absolutely true. ((By the way, I don't mean to single out rural areas, either. Obviously poverty-stricken areas of ANY kind of hotbeds of all kinds of abuse for many different reasons)).

Anyways, I'd be very interested in hearing others opinions on that specific line in the movie...

Thanks

[–] kincaid-5 8 years ago

It's made clearer in the book. Blond and Ree's mother had sex -- Ree walked in on them -- and Sonny is Blond's son.

Ree herself was given mushrooms and raped at a family gathering by LIttle Arthur -- at least I think that's who it was -- and when she goes out to Hawkfell (Thump's community) the guy is real insistent that she wouldn't remember him.

http://redkincaid.com

[–] JohnnyBlades 8 years ago

Thank you for the insight, now it makes more sense! I've not yet read the book but I just purchased the audiobook version and I'm looking forward to listening to it in the coming weeks. Several days ago I saw the presentation that Woodrell gave to U of Missouri (on YouTube)...he instantly became the only author I have any interest in reading.

[–] trpdean 8 years ago

"From what I know of impoverished rural areas, though, RATES of sexual abuse are extremely high"

And even higher in impoverished urban areas! Check out any statistics of rape, sexual assault - the cities beat the countryside hands down!

[–] majandralover30 8 years ago

i never read the book but when i heard that i just took it to mean that they were preferential to the boy because he's a boy and this is a man's world. then again this is not my culture so i'm pretty ignorant.

[–] JohnnyBlades 8 years ago

I agree with you 100%. I really wouldn't have much of a problem with any one of my loved ones - regardless of race, sex, etc. - walking through a 'poor' rural neighborhood. I'd have a huge problem, however, with any of them walking through a 'poor' "urban" area.

[–] cruzenflorida-1 8 years ago

It happens just as much everywhere, no matter the economics. It just is not reported or publicized as much. Humans are just, well, human. They either have a sense of decency or they don't.

[–] hej99 8 years ago

so what exactly does the "She don't shine for them" line mean.....and where does that term shine come from?

[–] liscarkat (18541) 4 years ago

It just means they're not interested in taking her into their home.