Prompt #3

I think that the theme of Fried Green Tomatoes is acceptance. There are many things that people have to accept in the book, like Ruth and Idgie's relationship, Stump not having an arm, and African Americans. The people in Whistle Stop have to try to accept Ruth and Idgie's relationship. It wasn't very common for two women to be together back then, and if they were they were always trying to hide it. But Ruth and Idgie were very open about that, and I think that helped the people in town accept it. Also, Stump had to accept himself. It says, "'It's just that I'm scared, Aunt Idgie. I'm just plain scared... I'm kinda scared that I'll fall on her or lose my balence because of my arm...'"(266). Stump is scared to be with a girl because he is self concious about his arm, even though he can do anything without it. He is the quarterback on the football team, and yet the thought of being with a girl scares him and makes him worry about only having one arm. Another way the books shows acceptance is with the KKK and the black people in the south. "Quietly, two black pickups had parked in front of the cafe and about twelve members of the Klan, dressed in full regalia, had slowly but deliberatly gotten ou and lined up outside the cafe"(203). The KKK had gone to the cafe because they heard that they were serveing black people there. This shows that even though they were free, black people still hadn't been accepted by everyone. This is also shown when Clarissa was in the department store. "'I'm your Uncle Artis, your daddy's brother.'...'YOU GET AWAY FROM HER!...HE WAS GRABBING AT HER!'"(296-297). Clarrissa was a very fair skinned balck girl, and she could actually pass as a tan white person if she wantd too, and she was that day. She pretended to ignore her uncle and he ended up getting kicked out of the store for trying to talk to her. This shows acceptance, or lack of, because the sales lady accused Artis of grabbing at Clarissa.

Post #3

To me the most prominent theme of the novel, Fried Green Tomatoes, is racism. This becomes evident throughout the entire novel. there are inumerous examples of racism, one being the way the African-Americans are addressed. One of the most obvious examples is how freely the word "n****r" is used.The novel is set in about the 1930's so, even though they were free, people had not yet developed a respect for the black man. Another very clear example is how some of the characters still had black maids or servants. this was still a very racist time and thorughout the novel we find people dealing with or overcoming racism. Therefore i feel that it is a very strong theme in the book.

Theme Post

I think the most prominent theme in the book is accepting others considering their differences.  This is demonstrated when Idgie serves the african american that come into the cafe. She serves them undercover, but doesn't deny them food just because they are black. Idgie stands up for the african americans when she says "Oh Grady, what harm can it be to sell a few sandwiches out the back door? It's not like they're coming in and sitting down" (54). During these times, slavery was becoming less of an issue, but still the persecution ligered. Idgie continues to demonstarte the theme when she takes Sipsey in, gives her a job, and continues be her friend, and keep her in her family. I think the fact that Idgie has kept her in the family adds to her opinion towards black people. One time a black man named Ocie came the cafe and asked for some food. idgie explained to him that "[She'd] have [him] come on in the front door and sit at a table" but she knows she can't do that (53). She explains that she wants him to come around the back door anytime he wants anything.

DeeDee2 post 3

As I read Fried Green Tomatoes the overall theme of the book to me is love and being there for family and friends. Throughout the book we read about many different relationships. There's Buddy and Idgie, Ruth and Idgie, the Threadgoode's and Ninny, and Big George and Sipsey. An example of Idgie's love towards Ruth is shown when Fannie Flagg states "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO!" (90). This shows how Idgie feels about Ruth and even though back then it's against many people's beliefs for a girl to love another girl, Idgie doesn't care. Another example of being there for family and friends is "My own mother died of consumption when I was four, and when my daddy died, up in Nashville, I just stayed on for good. I guess you might say the spend-the-night- party never ended" (8)... For these reasons and many more when I read Fried Green Tomatoes I see many different kinds of love and compassion, towards friends and family.

Post #3

I think that the most prominent theme in the book is Racism. Racism is expressed a lot in this book. For example, when Officer Kilgore comes into the cafe and tells Idgie that she should not be serving colored people. She tries to explain to him that she isn't servng them inside the cafe and he kind of just blows her off. Which she is isn't she is serving them out the back door and he makes it seem like a big deal that she is. Then whenever Frank Bennett got killed they tried blaming it on Big George because of the day they went into to town to pick up Ruth and save her from Frank because he was beating her. So they thought Big George did it automatically because one of the people said the saw a big black man there and back then it was so easy to blame it on them.

sylarlover: post #2

The prominent theme in Fried Green Tomatoes is Happiness or making the best of things. The majority of the characters in the book make do with what they have in order to have a  content lifestyle. An example is when Idgie took Stump to see the three legged dogged when he was feeling depressed about his missing arm. "So I don't want to hear any more about what you can and cain't do, okay?" (115). Is what Idgie told Stump and he agreed and throughout the book it listed all his accomplishes that he made with only having one arm. A second example is Smokey Lonesome's love for Ruth Jamison. Although he never had a chance to tell her that he loved her, he made do with just a picture of her. "He had stolen only one thing his entire life. The photo of Ruth... And even after she had died, she was still alive in his heart. She could never die for him. Funny. All those years, and she never had known" (351). This shows how even though he cared for her more than she could ever realized, he kept her in his thoughts. Lastly, Evelyn made do with all the stories that Ninny Threadgoode had told her before she passed away. Evelyn had been contemplating whether life was really worth living. She was so frightened by words and people that she became depressed, instead of living with people she just let them walk over her. Evelyn became content with her life listening to the tales of Alabama during the late twenties through the thirties and learned how to deal with the struggles that she was facing to become happy with her life. An example of when Evelyn truelly had peace in her life was when she finally said goodbye to Ninny at the graveyard. "Evelyn had told her friend everything she could think of that had happened in the last year, and she didn't leave until she felt sure in her heart that Mrs. Threadgoode knew she was really okay" (390). Evelyn wanted Ninny to know that she was okay because she was confident in herself that she would no longer look down the barrel of death that used to haunt her in her dreams.This only shows how three people made the best out of their situations to become happy. There were many more but I thought this blog was way too long. Good night.

Prompt Number 3

In Fried Green Tomatoes By Frannie Flagg, the most prominent theme to be learned is to not discriminate against those who are different than you. This is shown when a young African American man named Ocie came up to the cafe one day during lunch and asked Idgie for some food for him and his friends, even though it was against the rules. Idgie looked at him and said, " Let me tell you something Ocie, you know that if it was up to me, I'd have you come on in the front door and sit at a table, but you know I can't do that...I want you to go back over to the yard and tell your friends, anytime that want anything, just to come on around the kitchen door" (53). This shows that even in the south there were people like Idgie who didn't care what your skin color was or what you looked like, she was always kind and willing to help you. No matter what the towns people said to her that it was bad business, she didn't care because she was her own persona dn no one could tell her what to do. This is also shown when she teaches her son Stump that it is okay to be different, " But you know Stump. I'd hate like the devil to think that you didn't have anymore sense than that poor, little dumb dog we saw today, so I don't want to hear anymore about what you can and cannot do"(115). This proves that she taught him a valuable lesson that even though he only has one arm that it doesn't mean he is any different that any other kid. He still plays outside and has all the capability to learn and grow up like a normal child, he's not different.

Prompt Number 3

Post #3

As I have further progressed into the novel, a protruding message has begun to stand out. In being set in the deep south 1930's, the author explores racism which is so integrated into their daily lives. The author probes the subject of racism as readers can realize the obvious importance it has on the society in Whistle Stop Cafe. She explores the fear and danger it has on the community when she writes, "Now, George, you know you cain't go in Avondale Park, they just had a big Klan meeting over thee the other night. As soon as you set one foot in that gate, they'd shoot your head off in a minute."(154).Not only is racism prominent in that setting, but also it is relevant to the lives of Mrs. Threadgoode and Evelyn. They associate race in terms of fear when they discuss,"You know, a lot of these people resent having colored nurses out here. One of them said that deep down, all colored people hate white people and if those nurses got the chance, they'd kill us off in our sleep." In her message to readers, the author conveys just how important of an issue racism is to our world today, as well as the past. By associating racism with fear, she points out the violence that racism holds on our world.

Prompt Number Three

In my opinion racism and love are the most prodominant themes in Fried Green Tomatoes. "Now, George, you know you cain't go in Avondale Park, they just had a big Klan meeting over there the other night. As soon as you set one foot in that gate, they'd shoot your head off in a minute" (152). This shows how racism is a huge theme of the book because it shows how dangerous it would be for George to take his dying daughter to see an elephant. The Klans men would kill him for trying to help his dying daughter see something she had wanted to for months. An example of the theme love is, ""The barber was brushing off the back of Franks neck with the sweet-smelling talcum powder when Idgie burst into the shop. She was in a rage. She stuck her finger in Frank's face. 'LISTEN, YOU MEALY-MOUTHED, MOLE-FACED, GLASSEYED SON OF A BITCHING BASTARD! IF YOU EVER HIT RUTH AGAIN, I'LL KILL YOU! YOU BASTARD! I SWEAR I'LL CUT YOUR DAMN HEART OUT! YOU HEAR ME, YOU ASSHOLE BASTARD!'"(188). This quote shows love because when Idgie yells at Frank it had been two years since she'd seen Ruth. She is still in love with her, no matter what happened, and is willing to kill for her, and it shows such love and devotion.

Post #3 Fried Green Tomatoes

The most prominant theme in Fried Green Tomatoes is seeing the true beauty in things. For example, Evelyn is a married middle-aged lady who visits Mrs. Threadgoode in the nursing home every sunday. Evelyn is going through a mid-life crisis and with the help of encouraging words from Mrs. Threadgoode, Evelyn overcomes her depression. Also, Mrs. Threadgoode tells the story of Stumpy who is Ruth and Idgies son. Stumpy lost his arm when he was a small child and had only a stump. But throughtout the stories told, it is clear that everyone that came into comtact with him loved him and did not judge him for his small stump. Instead, her grew up with confidence and learned he can still do anything he wants. Idgie once took him to see a small, energetic dog, with a love for life. This dog could jump up and run around, and only had three legs. But, he was still happy. So, i believe the overall theme is seeing the true beauty in things and realizes that you may have small set backs but there is nothing that someone cant overcome.

Prompt #3

One of the dominant themes in the Fried Green Tomatoes is love and devotion. Throughout the novel we see Ruth's and Idgie's relationship grow and blossom into true love. Even though it is a forbiden love back then a true love it was still the same. This is shown by the character change of Idgie upon meeting Ruth. It never fails that once you find your other half they change you for the better. An example of this is shown through Idgie's character change through Mrs. Threadgoods' memories of the events she tell Evelyn. Even when Ruth leaves to go back home to marry Frank. Idgie is still helplessly in love with her and will do anything for her. This show us that love and devotion is a major theme throughout the novel.

post #3

I feel the prominent theme in Fried Green Tomatoes is friendship and acceptance, not just of others but of your life and what it may bring. A big part of the book is about how even though African Americans were discriminated against; Idgie Threadgoode didn't follow the rules of society. One example is when she tells a boy "I want you to go back over to the yard and tell your friends, anytime they want anything, just to come around to the kitchen door" (53). Idige and the others working the cafe accepted them, befriended them, and treated African Americans like anyone else despite what anyone else thought or believed. Also throughout the novel we see Evelyn befriend Virginia Threadgoode, and "because of knowing Mrs. Threadgoode, she was not as scared of getting old or dying as she had once been..." (388). Evelyn's relationship with Mrs. Threadgoode help her to learn to accept what life will bring her. The whole novel is a message of powerful friendships and learning to accept.

Post #3 Prompt (for Group A)

What is the most prominent theme in the book? ACECE

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I believe in the book Fried Green Tomatoes the setting is not fully described as a dynamic charector. There are many diffrent settings in this book because there are many diffrent places it takes place for example in the country at whistle stop cafe, there is the nursing home and many more. This book takes place while there is still racial discremination but what I don't understand is why the food can be cooked by an African American women named sipsey but why ocie can not eat in the cafe even though the food is getting cooked by a black women, also the fact that sipsey can raise a black baby boy there "sipsey grinning from ear to ear,her legs all scratched and bleeding from running through the briars,carrying the fattest,blackest little baby boy all wrapped up..."(49). Without all the seating being what they are we would ve missing key ideas and meanings of things I think when Fannie Flagg wrote this book she was very smart in making this setting and theme what it is.

summer7 post #2

In the novel "Fried Green Tomatoes" by Fannie Flagg, I feel like Fannie made the setting one of the most important things in the novel. The setting just brings everything together,without it the book would not make as much sense or have the same affect towards pople as the writer wants. The setting in the novel includes some of the following, small towns, racial segregtion, strong family and friends reltions, and overall an entire town that lived arount the Whistle Stop Cafe. For example, when Ninny says, "Idgie opened the place at daybreak and didn't close the place until as she said, 'the last dog was hung'" (51). I understand that by just reading this quote you would not really see how the setting is an importance but it truly does almost wrap up the setting in one sentence. The reaon I chose this quote to help explain setting was because you can tell the Whistle Stop Cafe was the place to go, they were opened from daybrack till there was no more people wanting in even if that meant staying open all night. You can also tell that it's back in a later time period by the word choose used like how she said "until the last dog was hung" instead of saying something like until the last person was out. Another example that helps to explain the setting is when Grandy said, "Now Idgie you ought not to be selling those niggers food, you know better than that. And there's some boys in this town that's not to happy about it. Nobody wants to eat in the same place that niggers come, it's not right and you just ought not to be doin' it" (53). This quote really helps you understand that racial segregation in this story was a major part of the setting because, it shows that peopledid not want mxed colors in the same place. It also shows that Whistle Stop Cafe was a small town by the way he say's the "boy's of the town" which usually means it's a smaller population in a small town. So just by simply looking at these two quotes you can tell the setting has a major affect on the story and without it the story would be lost.

setting of fried green tomatoes

i believe that Fannie Flagg has made the setting a character by developing it in full. "'It's a good thing I love trains, because Whistle Stop wasn't never nothing more than a railroad town,..'"(102). In this example it explains how this little town was formed from the railroad station in town. The constant stream of people from the station that stop in at the restaurant develop a center place for the town, a meeting place of the community which is very important to the novel."Idgie says that for the people who know her not to worry about getting poisoned,she is not cooking. all the cooking is being done by two colored women, Sipsey and Onzell, and the barbecue is being cooked by Big George.."(3). This second example shows the racism still left in the book that is part of the setting because it is of this time period where white and blacks were still separated. The importance of this is to show how people will be acting because of the time period and will reflect on the towns acts later in the novel ,which considering the setting to be a character,it will influence the acts of whites versus blacks, and also expose characters in the book that are doing what they should be or shouldn't be based on the general belief of society at this time.

Fried Green Tomatoes post one.

I feel that the setting in the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, is not developed well enough to be considered another dynamic character in the book. Because there are so many different settings in the novel, it's hard to grasp each one independently from another. A example of this being "...Whistle stop could have passed for the North Pole last week. Is there anything prettier than seeing the red holly bushes covered with snow?" pg, 126. I think that the author could of developed the scene more, personalizing it to the cafe if she was really wanting the setting to be a major focus in the author, instead I feel this description is lacking any real depth and doesn't bring anything to the setting of whistle stop. Another example of this being "Opal asks that the neighbors not feed her cat, Boots, even though she acts like shes hungry and begs..." pg, 150. I realize that Flagg was trying to create a sense of a small town, neighborly setting, but I just think that it wasn't clear enough, and a little confusing the way she attempts to give the reader incite to the Whistle Stop town. I get the picture that it's small, and somewhat boring but I think the real focus is placed on the characters rather than the setting.

In the novel, "Fried Green Tomatoes" by Fannie Flagg, I think she has definetley made the setting so important and developed it so well that it is almost like a character. The setting in the book has a lot of unique qualities to it, just like a character would have. Some of these qualities include racial segregation, the country, small towns, family roots, and overall a time period that is so very different from the society we live in today. For example, when Mrs. Threadgoode says, "Everybody was always staying at the Threadgoode house. One summer, Momma had this big fat Baptist preacher, who was in town for a camp meeting, staying with us, and when he was out somewhere, the twins went into his room and got to playing in a pair of his trousers." (26). Although this quote doesn't specifically describe the setting, I think that it helps us to understand the setting that the characters are living in a little better. The fact that the Threadgoode family is so big, and welcomes anyone into their home, makes you put the puzzle pieces together that they are a family from a small town, since they are so carefree, and kind to everyone. Without the country setting, the story wouldn't be the same at all. Mrs. Threagoode, and all of the Threadgoodes, wouldn't have personalities like they do without the country setting either. I also think the Whistle Stop Cafe characterizes the setting very well. For example, when Mrs. Threadgoode says, "I remember the first time he [Smokey Lonesome] ever came in the cafe. I was having a plate of fried green tomatoes, and he knocked on the back door, looking for food. Idgie went in the kitchen and pretty soon she came back in with this poor fella that was filthy dirty from riding the rails, and told him to go into the bathroom and wash up and she'd give him a bite to eat." (134). I think this characterizes the setting because it lets us know that at the Whistle Stop Cafe, anyone was welcome. It didn't matter what race you were, anyone would get served. This shows that the Whistle Stop Cafe was a small business, in a small town, because you'd never get away with letting a colored person eat in your restaurant in the city back in those days. So, it helps us really picture the setting in our mind, and picture the town of Whistle Stop, Alabama to understand it a lot better.

Bigred24:Post #2

In the book Fried Green Tomatoes, I believe Fannie Flagg developed her setting, the cafe, as a character. This is shown when Dot Weems says, "Idgie just got her brand-new Philco radio at the cafe, and says anybody wanting to hear "Amos 'n' Andy," or any other program, is welcome to come in and need not order anything to eat" (46). This proves that the cafe is developed like a character because the cafe is given a description. People come to the cafe just to hang out with friends, listen to the radio, and have a good time. The Whistle Stop Cafe is unlike other cafes because it is more personal. Ruth and Idgie know their customers and usually insist on providing them with free food. The cafe is also developed as a character when Fannie says, "Ever since Idgie had put the picture of Miss Fancy the Elephant up at the cafe, Onzell and George's youngest child, Naughty Bird, had been fascinated"(151). How Naughty Bird reacted to the picture in the cafe proves how the cafe is a character. The cafe influenced people, especially Naughty Bird. The cafe was an important part in peoples lives and after Naughty Bird saw the picture of the elephant that is all she talked about.

Setting

While reading the novel, Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg, I have noticed that the setting does play a major role, and could be considered a character. The peculiar thing about this book is that it has a few different settings because different passages are from different time periods and different characters. A major place is The Whistle Stop Cafe, the time frame ranges from 1931 to 1949. The cafe helps you learn about the characters and many things happen there. You learn how kind and compassionate Idgie and Ruth are, for example, "One of them was over here the other day for something or another and saw you was selling to niggers out the back door and thought he'd try to shake you up a little bit."(204). Even when she was threaten by the KKK she stood up for what she wanted and didn't care what other people said, or thought. The other most important setting in the book is the Rose Terrace Nursing Home, in the 1980's because this is where Miss Threadgoode tells Evelyn stories and we learn a lot from those stories. Mrs. Threadgoode liked to talk a lot, maybe too much, for example "One hour later, Mrs. Threadgoode was still talking. Evelyn Couch had finished three Milky Ways and was in the process of unwrapping her second Butterfinger, wondering if the old woman beside her was ever going to shutup."(11) She gives the best insight for the characters she tells us about, especially Idgie.

In Fried Green Tomatoes; By Fannie Flagg, she uses setting throught the story.

For example the Whistle Stop Cafe, it is involved in the story the whole time. Not just the building itself but the people who own it, the people who eat there, etc. Everyone knows where it is and who owns it, Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison. The author expands the setting by using those characters and deepining there character first. Idgie is a wild at heart, caring and tough young woman, sh knows right from wrong; although she may not always do the right thing at that moment it wasa right to her. The time period as 1920's, a racist time towards blacks but people

Blog Post #2

In Fried Green Tomatoes, by Fannie Flagg I believe the author does develop the setting well enough to have it be considered a character. This is shown when the author says, "'I think I'll just take my business elsewhere.' Everybody, including Grady, laughed at that one, because there wasn't anyplace else"(328). This shows that Whistle Stop Cafe is the only place in Whistle Stop to eat. Everybody knew the cafe, and who ran it. There wasn't a person in town who didn't like going there for food, and enjoyed the people that ran it. People thought the cafe had the best barbecue in town and people drove all the way from Birmingham to get some. People also loved the cafe so much because of the owners, Idgie and Ruth. The author tells how kind and selfless they were. This is shown when the author says, "'I never saw Aunt Idgie turn down a soul, and she was known to give a man a little drink if he needed it...'"(329). This shows how no matter how bad the times were in the depression the cafe became a place people could count on for food. Idgie was always feeding people who were hungry and desperate, and giving them shelter for a night or two. She couldn't turn them away and people could count on the cafe for a safe place to stay. I think the cafe is developed enough to be considered a character that people in the book recognize.

Post #2 Prompt (for Group B)

Some authors are able to develop the setting of their book so well that it can be considered another character. Has Fannie Flagg done this in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe? ACECE

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