Man Crazy
Encyclopedia
Man Crazy is a novel by Joyce Carol Oates
. It was first published as a full novel in 1997 (parts of the novel appeared earlier in various journals).
story, where the character and personality of the central character are developed and formed, her character and personality become weaker, almost to the point of annihilation.
At the beginning of the novel her father Luke, a hot tempered Vietnam veteran
, is already absent and seemingly hiding out after some unspecified trouble with the law. Her beautiful mother, Chloe Boone drifts from place to place with Ingrid, having many affairs with many men. Ingrid seems neglected by her mother who seems unable to provide the love and attention that her daughter so desperately needs.
As Ingrid hits adolescence she begins to compulsively scratch her face and body inflicting sores upon herself. This is obviously a sign of her inner anxiety and pain. During her high school years she is known as "Doll Girl" as she sleeps around and openly gives herself to much of the school's male population. She is incredibly lonely and doesn't have any real friends. She does excel at English though and her poetic ability is recognised by her English teacher who gives her an award and she is asked to read one of her poems for the school's closing/graduation ceremony. The prospect of being ridiculed by her peers and her belief that the poem is no good, brought on by her low self esteem, causes her to appear in front of the school, her face bloody from scratching, and reading not her own, but another poets work.
After this she leaves home and eventually gets involved with the Enoch Skaggs, a brutal, charismatic leader of the motorcycle gang/cult, Satan's Children. At this point her name has changed to 'Dog Girl', for her blind devotion and awe she feels and displays for her cruel master. She undergoes one brutal act after another, from gang rape, physical mutilation, to being locked in a cellar for days and watching a sacrificial killing. Only through luck is she rescued when her death seemed almost certain, the police burst onto the scene and justice is served.
After much needed counselling she puts her life back together and forms a partnership with her psychiatrist.
Joyce Carol Oates
Joyce Carol Oates is an American author. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over fifty novels, as well as many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction...
. It was first published as a full novel in 1997 (parts of the novel appeared earlier in various journals).
Plot summary
Man Crazy follows the early life of Ingrid Boone, from early childhood to adulthood. But instead of following the usual journey of a coming of ageComing of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
story, where the character and personality of the central character are developed and formed, her character and personality become weaker, almost to the point of annihilation.
At the beginning of the novel her father Luke, a hot tempered Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War.The term has been used to describe veterans who were in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States armed forces, and countries allied to them, whether or...
, is already absent and seemingly hiding out after some unspecified trouble with the law. Her beautiful mother, Chloe Boone drifts from place to place with Ingrid, having many affairs with many men. Ingrid seems neglected by her mother who seems unable to provide the love and attention that her daughter so desperately needs.
As Ingrid hits adolescence she begins to compulsively scratch her face and body inflicting sores upon herself. This is obviously a sign of her inner anxiety and pain. During her high school years she is known as "Doll Girl" as she sleeps around and openly gives herself to much of the school's male population. She is incredibly lonely and doesn't have any real friends. She does excel at English though and her poetic ability is recognised by her English teacher who gives her an award and she is asked to read one of her poems for the school's closing/graduation ceremony. The prospect of being ridiculed by her peers and her belief that the poem is no good, brought on by her low self esteem, causes her to appear in front of the school, her face bloody from scratching, and reading not her own, but another poets work.
After this she leaves home and eventually gets involved with the Enoch Skaggs, a brutal, charismatic leader of the motorcycle gang/cult, Satan's Children. At this point her name has changed to 'Dog Girl', for her blind devotion and awe she feels and displays for her cruel master. She undergoes one brutal act after another, from gang rape, physical mutilation, to being locked in a cellar for days and watching a sacrificial killing. Only through luck is she rescued when her death seemed almost certain, the police burst onto the scene and justice is served.
After much needed counselling she puts her life back together and forms a partnership with her psychiatrist.