Family Reactions to the Trauma Izzy Faces.

Leah Wingert

Dr. Pry

COE 269HU

6 February 2019

Family Reactions to the Trauma Izzy Faces

        Throughout the novel, there are many changes not only in Izzy’s life, but also the life of her family and other people around her because of the loss of her leg. As the novel goes on, we meet the Lingard family which consists of her parents, twin brothers, and a sister. They all portray a different reaction to what has happened to Izzy and different ways of coping with a new lifestyle. The lifestyle that Izzy now has to live with due to the loss of her leg greatly impacts her family.        

        To begin, we see the different changes throughout Izzy’s family from the very beginning of her injury all the way through her recovery. We first meet her parents in the hospital as Izzy wakes up. The Lingard’s are considered to be an upper-middle class, white-privileged family. Her father is a tax accountant, but he is rather reserved and willing to do anything for his family. Izzy’s mother is very organized, involved, and always tries to stay a step ahead of everything. Izzy’s mother is attentive to her when it comes to making sure has everything she needs while in the hospital. Her mother makes lists and comes to visit her almost every day. When Izzy comes home from the hospital, everything in the house has changed. Izzy’s mother moved all her stuff to the master bedroom, and they installed shelves and a ramp to make maneuvering around the house easier. Her mother wants to make sure she is comfortable and able to adjust well to her new lifestyle. At Thanksgiving dinner, her father mentions the idea of installing a pool at their house as a way of exercise for Izzy (Voigt, 272). Again, we see that her family is doing whatever it takes to ensure proper care for Izzy. Her parent’s reaction to the accident is immediately getting the best care and allowing for a smooth transition.

        Next, we are introduced to Izzy’s siblings. Her twin brothers, Joel and Jack, are very protective of her and want what’s best for her. They are away at college, so they don’t come right away to see Izzy in the hospital. The twins are very different as far as personality. Joel is more reserved and does well in school, while Jack is more volatile and better in athletics. Joel comes to see her and at first, he just stands at the door without saying anything. Izzy is confused as to why Jack did not come with Joel. Eventually, Joel walks over to the chair, sits down and tells Izzy that she looks great and begins to fill the air with words (Voigt 76-78). Izzy doesn’t really listen, but she enjoys his company. We see that Joel’s initial reaction is like most people’s when they just stare and not say anything. However, he eventually talks and helps to make Izzy feel better and get her mind off of the fact that she is now an amputee.

Later, Jack called Izzy on the phone while she was still in the hospital. There was awkward silence on the phone and then Rosamunde interrupts the conversation (Voigt 123-126). We know that Jack is someone who is more volatile, and this is one of the reasons why he didn’t come to the hospital to see Izzy. On the phone, he feels guilty that he didn’t come to see her when Joel was there.  Jack reappears in the novel when the twins come home for Thanksgiving. We see that Izzy and Jack have a close bond with one another. The twins want to take Izzy out, but Izzy is leery about going out because she doesn’t want people to stare at her. The twins are very different in their reactions to the accident.