Literature Review Sample

Are Memories Enough?

Whether it is a young child wandering in the labyrinth like hallways filled with nurses and walkers, adults providing care and comfort for their aging parents, or the residents themselves passing the time through repetitive medical cycles, nursing homes are an experience that most Americans become familiar with at some point. But it is in these hallways of death and closure where Fannie Flagg decides to begin her endearing and emotionally nurturing novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. While topics brought up in this setting can be tackled in the darkest and most depressing terms, Flagg finds a way to give light and joy to a woman’s final months by providing her with only one strategy to pass away pleasantly: reliving past memories.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, it is no surprise that the southern setting of the novel plays such a large role in the characters’ stories. Racism, sexism, and even compulsive eating are all issues that these southern characters deal with. With her wide array of characters, many of whom pop up only for brief intervals, Flagg has no limit to how many problems can plague the southern mind.

            Flagg’s southern novel mainly focuses on two merging stories and timelines, both of which are full of pain and humor. The first focuses on the aging Ninny Threadgoode who spends her final few months alive passing on her memories of home to Evelyn Couch, a character plagued by her own midlife crisis. This story is contrasted with what can be summed up as the adventures of Idgie Threadgoode, Ninny’s sister in law, who finds every rule in the book to break to ensure justice and sometimes just to cause some chaos. As Evelyn hears Ninny’s stories of Whistle Stop and listens to the bravery of the strong and independent character Idgie, it not only instills in Evelyn a sense of power and self-acceptance, but also provides Ninny with peace knowing that her memories can life on.

            It is this theme of accepting finality in one’s life that is most predominant in the novel as characters are forced to overcome challenges and find ways to cope with death and dramatic change. Even the demise of small town America is explored by Flagg as her story eventually must move away from its idealized, and sometimes romanticized, setting and become grounded in the reality of a modernized and urban country. This sense of finality is most prevalent through the thoughts of one nomadic character, Smokey Lonesome, who reflects on life as the town of Whistle Stop slowly closes down: “Those memories were still there, and tonight he sat searching for them, just like always, grabbing at moonbeams. Every once in a while he would catch one and take a ride, and it was like magic” (319). It is shown through Flagg’s writing that change in life is not easy, and even the healing powers of past memories can be a strenuous practice at times. While Flagg’s use of the verb “searching” demonstrates that longing for past memories may not come easily to her characters, it is absolutely necessary for one’s own mental health and comfort.  This is not surprising as Flagg continually displays life as full of hardship and strife. Although these memories help the characters cope with the challenges of life, Flagg does not go so far as to suggest that pleasant memories are all that are needed to overcome their problems. Sure enough, Smokey’s “magical” ride is simply that: magical. While these enchanted memories do not last, the impact they have on us does. This is especially seen through the character Evelyn who picks herself up and finds meaning in life from these “magical” tales from Ninny. Ultimately, it is a balancing act that Flagg portrays as her characters must use memories to get through difficult changes in their lives while also learning valuable lessons they can apply later in life.  

            Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café is certainly an enjoyable read that forms an attachment between the characters and the readers. With the long list of active characters in the novel, it is difficult for a reader to not discover some reflection of their own self in the messy lives of the Whistle Stop residents. If there is one issue with the book it may be the American South’s most serious problem with accepting change: the stain of racism. Fannie Flagg tries to fairly depict the evils of racism in the South, but her constant focus on privileged white women unfortunately leaves many of the black characters pushed into the backdrop and as they are never fully developed. Despite this shortcoming, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café has the power to captivate a reader and provide deep commentary on the powerful impact memories can have for all of us trying to navigate our own tricky lives.