Summary and Analysis
Chapter 6 - Ronnie
Summary
Ronnie is angry because she had the cops called on her. Storming into the house, Ronnie confronts her father, who unsuccessfully tries to redirect the conversation toward the topic of Marcus. Looking for a response, Ronnie hurls a photograph across the room. Steve responds by sending his daughter to her room. As she storms down the hallway, he calls after her, wishing her "good night" and telling her that he loves her. To make matters worse for Ronnie, she has to share a room with Jonah. Even as she barks at and ignores her brother, Ronnie notices that he clutches his teddy bear, a nervous habit he has, which softens her.
Ronnie is annoyed that she is awakened by the sun at 8:00 a.m. After she fights with Steve and he learns that she is a vegetarian, Ronnie leaves to explore the town and is unimpressed with what she finds. She runs into Blaze, who informs Ronnie that she spent the night on the beach at Bower's Point and has not eaten since the morning before.
Analysis
Ronnie's anger stems from embarrassment. When angry, she tosses the word "hate" around very easily. Ronnie is looking for a reaction from her father, and when she gets silence, she sees her father as weak.
The softer side that Ronnie shows toward Jonah only lasts so long, because the next morning she is her typical volatile self, yelling at her father and brother. Although she talks about being old enough to make her own decisions, she is seemingly incapable of having a calm, rational, adult conversation.
Ronnie assumes Steve's piano playing is intentionally directed at her. This example is another instance of her self-centeredness. This scene is yet another indication of Ronnie's impetuousness and immaturity.
Glossary
Edvard Grieg Norwegian composer/pianist of the Romantic period
Anna Karenina Russian novel by Leo Tolstoy