Hello and welcome to the Read With Us Shuggie Bain discussion day!
I hope you've read this stellar book (my humble opinion, but you are welcome to disagree). Shuggie Bain is the story of young Hugh "Shuggie" Bain, a sweet and lonely boy who spends his 1980s childhood in run-down public housing in Glasgow, Scotland. Margaret Thatcher's policies have put husbands and sons out of work, and the city's notorious drugs epidemic is waiting in the wings. Shuggie's mother Agnes walks a wayward path: she is Shuggie's guiding light but her alcoholism is a burden for him and his siblings.
 |
| Douglas Stuart's mother in 1973 |
The book is titled Shuggie Bain, but it is really the story of his mother, Agnes. Shuggie's love for his mother is of such an intensity that, at times, it almost seems overwhelming. How do you feel about that? Shuggie's two half-siblings manage to escape her influence, but Shuggie remains, always trying to save Agnes from herself. There were many times that I wondered why Shuggie didn't also leave, and I wonder if any of you have thoughts about why.
Agnes always takes pride in her appearance and values good manners. Maintaining her dignity is important to her, yet she frequently fails to do so. How do you feel about Agnes, as a mother, wife and woman? I think Agnes did the best she could, but sadly, her best was lacking in so many ways.
Feel free to leave your answers or thoughts in the comments, and I hope you'll join us tonight at 7:00 pm Eastern. Let me know in the comments if you'd like to attend, and we'll make sure you get a link to the Zoom meeting.
"I am always looking for tenderness in the hardest places," says Douglas Stuart, and he has certainly done that in Shuggie Bain, his portrayal of Shuggie's devotion to Agnes, and the dedication to his own mother who died of alcoholism.
Oh boy. I hated Agnes... deeply. I also was kind of horrified at how poorly the system worked for any kind of help for Shuggie and/or Agnes. I look forward to the discussion tonight!
ReplyDeleteI only know a little about Margaret Thatcher and her policies, but that might account for the lack of help for Shuggie and Agnes. I tended to view Agnes as a victim of her alcoholism, but at some point (maybe when she first began drinking?) she made a choice. It was clear that she made many very poor choices that affected her and the rest of the family. Looking forward to seeing you tonight!
DeleteI think Shuggie's love is so intense because he's still rather young & innocent, perhaps believing that if he keeps giving it will eventually be returned. I don't think he was old enough to leave home, either. (I have to say that I had a hard time grasping the timeframe of the book and the ages of the kids.)
ReplyDeleteOh, Agnes. We saw a just a glimmer of her free from the effects of alcohol... addiction wrecked her, and was too much to overcome (more than once) (a vast oversimplification) (also, damn Eugene!).
I'm a bit fuzzy on the timeline, too, and the ages of the kids. But I certainly agree that Shuggie always hoped/thought that Agnes would return his love by giving up alcohol, probably right up until she died. I curse Eugene, too! Who encourages an alcoholic to drink?! Looking forward to tonight!
Deleteoh yes, me too, Eugene was awful! at least he stayed around ... and I do think he realized his mistake(s). It was a reminder that understanding addiction as a lifelong illness is still new - this was the 1980's.
DeleteA good point, Mary! Addiction as a disease is still tough to understand decades later, so I'm sure alcoholism was seen a a way to escape in the 80s in the midst of poverty and unemployment (and no way out).
DeleteI felt bad for Agnes, I saw her as a victim of her disease and without any real help. I talked to my sister (a political science professor) about Thatcher's social policies and my sister described them as draconian. At that time there were no real services for a family in crisis like this one.
ReplyDeleteI think Agnes made a choice when she very first began to drink, but it's a choice that I can certainly understand living in bleak poverty with no real chance of getting out. Once her addiction took over, I don't think she had any choice. I've been reading about Thatcher's policies and they withdrew support from all the industries (mining, steel, coal, and manufacturing) that the Scottish economy depended on. There was so much unemployment and despair, with no way out.
DeleteI think Shuggie was so young that he didn't know how to get out and also wasn't about to leave his mother alone. Seeing his siblings leave must have been hard and he probably wanted to leave but didn't want to be the one to leave his mother alone. He probably thought he was the last one and that he would be able to do something. Sad.
ReplyDeleteI was unsure about how old Shuggie was, but others have pointed out that he was probably too young to leave. And once Catherine and Leek left, he probably didn't want to leave Agnes alone and without the caretaking Shuggie was providing for her. He certainly tried his best.
Delete