The World Made Straight

Infobox Book |
name = The World Made Straight


author = Ron Rash
country = United States
language = English
genre = Southern Gothic, Bildungsroman
publisher = Henry Holt
release_date = April 2006
media_type = Print (Hardcover)
pages = 289 (Hardcover edition)
isbn = ISBN 0-8050-7866-5 (Hardcover edition)

"The World Made Straight" is a 2006 novel by Ron Rash.

Plot introduction

In 1970s Western North Carolina, a young man stumbles across a grove of marijuana, sees an opportunity to make some easy money, and steps into the jaws of a bear trap. He is discovered by the ruthless farmer who set the trap to protect his plants, and begins his struggle with the evils of his community’s present as well as those of its history. Before long, he has moved out of his parents' home to live with a onetime schoolteacher who now lives in a trailer outside town, deals a few drugs, and studies journals from the American Civil War. Their fates become entwined as the community's terrible past and corrupt present lead to a violent reckoning with the marijuana farmer and with a Civil War massacre that continues to divide an Appalachian community. (adapted from dust jacket)

Plot summary

Characters in "The World Made Straight"

*Travis Shelton, 17 years old, high school dropout discouraged from bettering himself by his tobacco farmer father.
*Leonard Shuler, a former schoolteacher, now small-time drug dealer, whose career was ended by a vindictive student.
*Carlton Toomey, a ruthless and wily farmer and drug dealer.
*Dena, once a pretty young woman, who has become a heavy drug user.

Major themes

Knowledge vs. Ignorance - self knowledge is the most important part of the protagonist, Travis. Here Travis is trying to portray a tough guy, ignorant attitude when really he is a scrawny boy. Travis gains knowledge from the books he finds in Leonard’s trailer. He gains knowledge by Leonard teaching him in the trailer. Knowledge never leaves you. Travis’ goal as the protagonist in this book is to better himself and start a change in his life. Why would he want to better himself? Travis is trying to find out who he is. He starts off as a want to be tough guy who hangs with the rebels. That’s the way of life in the North Carolina Mountains no one really gives school a chance in the fact that most of the students end up as farmers. Travis’ ignorance for school and life in the beginning is very high. Knowledge consumes us in the fact we are always looking for new information and trying to obtain that all knowing self. Travis finds his way not the usual way of going through grade school but successfully gaining a GED. This sets him at an accomplishment something also his father never did. Travis sees himself heading down a road of hardships, Success, and failure. But Travis will learn from the mistakes and gain knowledge of the subject and move on to better Himself for the future and what ever it may hold.

Quotes from Ron Rash, regarding his novel (these are selected quotes spoken by Ron Rash at the University of West Georgia's Townsend Center in Carrollton, Ga., on Tuesday, October 23, 2007):

1. When asked why he chose to have Travis step into a bear trap, Rash responded, "Because it seemed more horrific that way...Traps like that actually happened around that area."

2. When asked why he chose to have Travis discover a pair of glasses, Rash responded, "I wanted him to see things in a different way...the perception of the past and the present."

3. When asked to describe a theme to his novel, regarding Travis's fascination with history books, Rash said, "We have to understand history, otherwise we are going to make the same mistakes."

4. When asked why he chose that particular location for the book (in the Appalachian Mountains), Rash stated matter-of-factly, "Landscape can determine our possibilities. The fact that Gatsby is from the Midwest says a lot about his character. He was able to foresee endless opportunities because he wasn't trapped by a surrounding mountainside."

Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science

*The Shelton Laurel Massacre described in the book was based on a real Civil War incident of the same name. Shelton Laurel is a real place.

Release details

*2006, USA, Henry Holt ISBN 0-8050-7866-5, Pub date April 2006, Hardcover

ources, references, external links, quotations

* [http://www.holtzbrinckpublishers.com/henryholt/search/SearchBookDisplay.asp?BookKey=2654563 Book information on the publisher's website]