Forged By Fire

In Chapter 1, Draper establishes Gerald as the protagonist. Though the story is told in the third person, Gerald is the central focus of the novel. Gerald’s relationship with his mother is abusive. His mother’s behavior toward him is violent and inconsistent, creating emotional pain that haunts Gerald throughout the novel. In one moment, “she [holds] his hand right over the flame” of a lighter “for his own good and to teach him a lesson” (6). However, in another moment, “she “[hugs] him and [kisses]” and buys him a “G.I. Joe man […] it wasn’t even his birthday” (7). From a young age, Gerald learns to accept this abuse and inconsistency from his mother. From Gerald’s perspective, they are “lessons,” which tell him and how and when he should approach his mother.

Already, Gerald is recognizing the “cycle of abuse,” a social theory posited by domestic violence psychologist Lenore E. Walker in 1979. According to Walker, the cycle is a four-stage process, beginning with tension in which the victim of abuse recognizes the abuser’s intentions and tries to avert the abuse. The second stage is the abuse itself; the third stage is “reconciliation,” wherein the abuser excuses their behavior and apologizes to the victim; the fourth stage is “calm,” also known as the “honeymoon phase,” wherein the abuser acts as though the abuse didn’t take place and tries to influence the victim into thinking well of them. Gerald’s mother enacts the calm stage by buying Gerald the GI Joe and being uncharacteristically affectionate with him. She likely feels some regret for neglecting him, but not enough to change her behavior. Readers will see this cycle played out many times throughout the novel with multiple characters.

In contrast to Monique, Aunt Queen appears as Gerald’s saving grace. She is older and far more nurturing than Monique. After finding Gerald abandoned in the apartment, she gives him “a warm bath, a bowl of hot soup, and some warm fuzzy sleepers” (7). Although Aunt Queen is more nurturing than Monique, Monique is not reduced to a complete villain. In Chapter 2, Aunt Queen states “she’s got a good heart…she just doesn’t know much about mothering” (17). Aunt Queen refers to Monique as “that girl,” and stresses her youth. This alternate perspective helps humanize Monique, who would otherwise appear to be a neglectful, monstrous mother. Aunt Queen suggests that Monique is merely a victim of circumstance and is doing the best she can, whether the reader is to believe that or not.

In Chapter 3, Gerald’s life with Aunt Queen is the complete opposite of his life with Monique. Aunt Queen is loving and understanding, but also stern. When Gerald gets into a bike accident, she is hard on him, saying, “you will never, as long as you live on God’s green earth, do anything that stupid again!” (27) However, it is clear her reprimanding is rooted in a deep love and concern for Gerald’s growth, development, and well-being. She reads to him, teaches him to cook, and offers wisdom and insights, such as: “no use stewin’ about stuff you can’t change…it’s the things we do have control over that I’m worried about” (24). Aunt Queen’s lessons, values, and wisdom begin to shape Gerald and offer him a sense of normalcy. This will become important in later chapters when Gerald must return to a fraught life with his mother; having had three normal years to compare to his mother’s chaos, Gerald will easily recognize that he and Angel deserve better.

These chapters introduce the symbol of fire. First, with Monique holding Gerald’s hand over the lighter and then with the fire in the apartment. The apartment fire is the inciting incident of the novel and launches the plot into motion, shaping Gerald into the young man in the chapters to come. The symbol will bookend the novel, so while fire represents something traumatic for Gerald, both instances achieve a new, better beginning for him: The first gave him exposure to an available parent, the second will relieve him of his and Angel’s most feared abuser.