I’ve read most of Judy Blume’s work as a teenager and have also re-read them as an adult, but this was my first time reading Tiger Eyes and I have a bunch of questions/confusion about the behavior of Aunt Bitsy and Uncle Walter, and the setting of Los Alamos, and the subtle implications the author appears to make about the town.
Usually, on a re-read I can catch some more “adult” stuff that I didn’t realize before when I was younger – examples include just how dysfunctional Rachel Robinsons’ household is, Stephanie Hirsch’s mom having a full blown mid-life crisis post-divorce, the cause of the parents’ divorce in It’s Not the End of the World clearly being because they married far too young, etc.
But for Tiger Eyes, I was stumped! Why are Aunt Bitsy and Uncle Walter depicted to being so fearful/cautious – is this something related to where they live or work (did something happen at the National Laboratory in the 80s)? Are they rich, and why is there such a huge emphasis on just how good the school district is in the area? There’s also a subplot regarding alcoholism – is this a known big issue in that area? Finally, there’s another subplot where a Los Alamos (which is described as a predominantly “Anglo” town) car is vandalized in Santa Fe. Is there some sort of segregation/violation surrounding these communities?
Judy Blume herself says that she was not very happy living in Los Alamos for two years of her adult life, so I’m so curious whether it has some unique aspect to it (e.g., is it like living in a work commune?) that makes it really distinctive compared to other cities.
by nancydrewcrew95