21st Century Literature discussion

This thread is for discussion of Part Three.

Early in part three, we see Miles take Cindy Whiting to the homecoming game. We see more interaction between Miles and Jimmy Minty, and we see Zack Minty being a bully on the football field. What does this scene show us about about Empire Falls (the town) and the people who live there, generation after generation?

seems like there's a degree of determinism in the town's history/future. The generations largely reproduce their psyches (like the Minty's). Roby's & Whitings have a somewhat more complex mix of behaviour over the generations, but it's still determined by the past. The negative traits tend to predominate, which gives the story a rather pessimistic feel.

This is true. Do you remember David telling Miles that Tick was likely to grow up to run the Empire Grill and save all year for a trip to Martha's Vineyard each summer?

I'm not sure if it is subsequent generations reproducing the psyches of their parents and grandparents, of how much of it is making decisions to do what they believe their parents would have done, or would have wanted them to do.

Late in Part Three, we get "the big reveal"--Charlie Mayne was actually C.B. Whiting. We get more of the story about Miles' mother apologizing to Mrs. Whiting, and more about the subsequent relationship of these two women. Does this make Mrs. Whiting's actions toward Miles more understandable, or less? Is she really looking for vengeance for something his mother did was he was nine years old?

I'm wondering how Miles didn't know it was CB in Martha's Vinyard the first time they met. Surely everyone in the town would have known what he looked like. Am I missing something?

Miles was a kid. It's possible CB wasn't seen around town all that much outside the factory. It's possible Miles didn't pay much attention to grown-ups he did not know personally. It's been a few months since I read this book, but it seems like CB also had more or less facial hair in Martha's Vinyard than he normally wore at home.

It's been a few months for me as well, but I seem to remember something similar which made enough sense for me to buy it. A youthful lack of attention combined with something different about his appearance (facial hair? a hat? it's all a bit fuzzy...).

I just think it's a bit thin, especially as they owned half the town and it's one of those small towns where everyone knows each other. But it's a small thing, I guess.