All Over But The Shoutin By Rick Bragg

A woman can take care of the family but it takes a man to provide structure and stability. This is exceptionally true in the memoir All Over but the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg. Bragg against the odds, rose from a hard childhood to a very successful life. In opening his book he refers to a red bird that runs itself into a mirror like it didn’t like what it saw in the reflection. Rick Bragg has many family members that he could use to reference that image. He referred to it “It was as if the bird hated what it saw there, and discovered too late that all it was seeing itself” (xi). Bragg’s father, brother and mother are all symbols of this redbird that he mentions. Although unintentionally, Bragg uses the symbol to show anger and resentment to people

Mark grew up to be a lot like their father. Since the family grew up poor and with their father walking in and out of their life there was a struggle to know right from wrong with the brothers. Him and his brother Sam always fought, but would only stop when they saw their mother got upset. In the book, Bragg says “Life is too short to dance with an ugly woman, and my ugly woman was my own envy” (131). Mark falls very true to that statement. Mark envied his brother Rick for actually succeeding in life while like him and the redbird, they seek no help but instead intend to give up. He is also like the redbird with his anger. Mark showed much anger growing up, as if he was always angry with no apparent reason. The redbird was unhappy with its appearance and Mark was affected by not having a father figure growing up. Mark eventually turned into a heavy drinker who invested much time in prison.

Lastly, Ricks mother, Margaret Bragg. Margaret was a stay at home mother of three boys. Considering she went 18 years without a new dress, she was very poor but would give the shirt off her back to support her children. She picked cotton in a field and cleaned the rich people’s homes to make a living for her family. She symbolizes the redbird in a way with her marriage. No matter how much Charles emotionally drained her, left her and beat her she still stayed. This is like the red bird when it is running into the glass repeatedly with nothing changing but hurting its