McCarthy’s Child of God and Caldwell’s Tobacco Road both focus on the quintessential white poor. Tobacco Road follows a family from the outskirts that struggles for food and money during Great Depression. Child Of God follows Lester Ballard, who loses land and eventually loses their minds. Both novels explore the theme of devolution. The authors reduced their characters to an animalistic, primitive state to show the effects of loss. This animalistic trait is the urge to have sex. This animalistic, sexual desire can be seen in devolution of poor white neighborhoods.
Caldwell’s Tobacco Road is a story that begins with Lov Bennett on his return home. He thinks about Pearl his new wife and the fact that she avoids having sex. He stops at the house of his father-in law, Jeeter Lester. This is to convince Lester that Pearl should be talked to. He states, “I have as much need of Pearl as any man” (4). This “need for Pearl as a wife” can be interpreted to mean that she has sex with him. This quote shows how obsessed Lov is with sex. He is hungry and has to walk seven miles every morning to pick turnips. However, his primary concern is sex. While this might be normal human behavior, Caldwell writes that Lov has been thinking about getting some plow-lines so he can tie pearls to his bed at night. He had tried all the options, save for force, but he was determined that Lov would act like a wife. Caldwell offers this insight into Lov and it quickly becomes clear that Lov does not have healthy, normal sexual urges. Lov is open to the idea of violence and rape as a way to satisfy his sexual desires. Lov finds relief in Lester’s home thanks to Ellie May (his sister-in law) and her curiosity. Caldwell describes how Lov is so focused on Ellie May that he almost forgets all about his wife (26). Lov is so obsessed with his sexual desires that it becomes all that matters in the moment. He does not forget his young wife. He had forgotten everything because of her (27). While one would assume that food would be the number one priority during the Great Depression, Lov discovered his animalistic instincts and chose to have sex instead of protecting his food.
Jeeter Lester, patriarch of Lester’s family, has a woman. This would make it seem that his sexual urges are quite tame. Lester is clearly lusting after Sister Bessie’s son, Dude, even though he has already married his wife. Caldwell wrote, “Jeeter glanced at Bessie” after interrupting Sister Bessie’s attempt to end their marriage. He pulled the quilt back to see Bessie better (108). Jeeter does have a wife. He shouldn’t look at other women as a source of satisfaction. His devolution changes all of that. He has been unable to work or find land and is now living in a primitive, animalistic world, looking for sex everywhere he can. Jeeter himself even stated that “No matter how many kids a man has, it never stops him from wanting more” (109). Jeeter doesn’t shy away from expressing his feelings for Bessie. Bessie is naked to him (127), even when he has his wife alongside. He doesn’t care about loyalty, love, or morals. His primitive, intense sexual cravings are what drives him to abandon all other human relationships.
This novel does not focus on the sexual desires of only males, but it also includes some female characters. This idea is evident in Ellie May’s desire for Lov. Sister Bessie further explores the issue. Bessie has a sexual nature throughout the novel, particularly when she tries to seduce Dude (105). However, her sexual needs are most evident during her stay at the Augusta hotel with Lester and Dude. Bessie claims that someone calls her every now and then to bring her to another bedroom. I was always in a room with someone sleeping in my bed. I only slept for about an half hour. It sure seems like there are many men living there” (150).
Bessie doesn’t object to any prostituting. Bessie might assume that these acts are performed because she believes that it is “what females should do” (49). However she admits she enjoys staying in hotels overnight, saying, “I really had fun last night.” It made my heart feel good to be there. It becomes clear that Bessie isn’t accepting prostitutes because she believes it is the right thing for her, but because it’s what she wants. Bessie feels the same way as the men in the story.
Named his protagonist Lester Ballard, it is clear that Caldwell’s Tobacco Road inspired McCarthy’s Child of God. It is also evident in the characters’ names and settings. The dumpkeeper and one of his daughters are the first to show readers this primitive lifestyle. The dumpkeeper sees one of his daughters have sex in the woods one summer day (27). McCarthy writes that the boy ran off and McCarthy adds, “Next thing you know, his overalls were down to his knees and she was being climbed by him” (27-28). This is the most animalistic, primitive form of sexual desire. The dumpkeeper found his daughter, and apparently was overcome with both rage as well as arousal. He then raped her. Similar to Lov and Tobacco Road’s rape solution, rape can be an impulsive decision made as a last resort for both these characters. They are so mad and angry that they won’t have sex anymore, and are ready to revert to animalistic sexual behaviours.
McCarthy explores these urges in greater detail through Lester Ballard, the protagonist. Ballard’s land is lost and he starts his devolution into an animalistic primitive state. This state has one characteristic: his intense sexual desire. He is most likely to find a coital, deceased couple (86). Ballard immediately takes a sexual action after realizing the couple are dead. McCarthy wrote that Ballard saw one of the girls breasts and stared for a while. He finally reached across his dead friend’s back to touch the breast. Ballard longs for more. Ballard moves the man’s body to the side and then, “Kneeling between the legs of the girl, he unbuckled his belt and lowered his pants. He labored over the corpse like a crazy gymnast. He put everything he had in his waxen ear to tell a woman. This is an important point in Ballard’s evolution. Although he is homeless and starving, he still desires sexual intimacy. He is quickly falling into primitive states and will seek out intimacy wherever he can.
This sexual encounter isn’t a one-time event. Ballard is still hungry for more. After bringing the girl’s body home, he shops in town for makeup and clothing. Ballard then dress the corpse. McCarthy wrote that he “shut down slowly and spoke to her.” He pulled his trousers down and laid beside her. He laid next to her, exposing his loose thighs. He said, “You been wanting it, she told him” (103). Ballard knows that he will use this corpse to help him relieve his sexual cravings. Ballard feels the need to find a way to satisfy his animalistic sexual cravings. Ballard eventually finds a substitute for this body, which proves that he’s succumbing to his primitive sexual urges.
The novel suggests that only poor whites have these animalistic sexual urges. However, Sheriff Fate’s story challenges this idea. This section of the novel tells of a Fate encounter with a boy (44-45). It is possible to dismiss this scene as Fate being insensitive, but it is indicative of much more. Ballard informs Fate that after being arrested on false charges of rape, he said to him “You kindly have henhouse means yourself, Sheriff,” meaning Fate is exactly the way he is (56). This is what Fate thought when he was arrested for false rape charges.
Frog Mountain’s couple is confronted and it becomes uncouth. This couple was not breaking the law, but Fate disturbed them because it provided him entertainment. Although he is able to conceal his sexual desires in everyday life, he still needs to let them out. His lack of apparent devolution means that he can acknowledge his sexual urges more discreetly.
McCarthy’s Child of God and Caldwell’s Tobacco Road both explore the theme of devolution of humanity in poor, white trash. This results in characters with primitive, animalistic sexual needs. Poor white trash males (such as Jeeter Lester, Lov, and Jeeter Lester) as well as the dumpkeepers and Lester Ballards in Child of God are examples of this; while children, such Ellie Mays and Bessie, are typical working class citizens such Sheriff Fate. This glimpse into their lives gives the reader a sense both of intrigue as well as disgust. It also helps to realize that these same desires may be deep in their own hearts.
