Fried Green Tomatoes

A detailed Summary of Fried Green Tomatoes

My first impression of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe was that it was a "woman's" novel. This was because the movie, which was more popular than the book, was advertised as a "chick flick". To say the least, I was wrong. The novel poses many issues that face the people of the 1920's and 30's, and makes one think about what people have struggled through. The novel addresses the issue of racism before the time of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. It tells of the struggles women must go through when they reach menopause; the big change. However, the main plot line tells the story of two women, Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, and the trials and tribulations of their life in the 1920's and 30's. Idgie and Ruth are business partners, best friends, and in the eyes of many, also lesbians.

"[Fried Green Tomatoes] represents around the issue of lesbianism, depicting a strong and intense friendship between two white women (the tomboy Idgie Threadgoode and the fern Ruth Jamison), but never committing itself one way or another" (Pelligrini 7). There have not been many stories written about homosexuality in the first half of the twentieth century. That is why Fannie Flagg does not just come out a

The idea that Idgie and Ruth are lesbians can be misunderstood. To say that they are a lesbian couple does mean that they are sexually involved with each other. However, whether or not Idgie and Ruth are sexually involved is a decision that is left up to the reader. Flagg does not describe in the novel any sexual experiences between Idgie and Ruth. This is because the idea of lesbianism is a touchy subject and could have changed the idea that novel was trying to get across. Instead, Flagg describes a relationship between Idgie and Ruth that is more of a homosocial one. As women like to say to men, just because you are a couple, does not mean you must have sex.

"Idgie treats Ruth to a picnic at a secret location; during this lunch Idgie retrieves a honeycomb from a beehive in what has been widely understood in queer readings as the first love scene" (Berglund 131). The first episode in the novel, which shows a lesbian relationship between Idgie and Ruth, is the "Bee Charmer" scene. The way that they speak and act towards each other throughout that scene is very characteristic of the way many lovers, both heterosexual and homosexual, speak and act towards each other. Idgie goes as far as to say that she would kill for Ruth and that she would die for Ruth, all because she loves her. "Idgie smiled back at her and looked up into the clear blue sky that reflected in her eyes, and she was happy as anybody who is in love in the summertime can be." (FGT 87)

Idgie and Ruth are homosexuals in a time when homosexuality is shunned and discriminated against. It is never really directly stated that they are lesbians, but it is definitely implied. It could not have been directly stated that they are in fact lesbians, because that would have changed the focus of the entire book. Lesbianism is not a subject that many people wish to speak about or think about on a daily basis. However, everyone in Whistle Stop accepts and appreciates them. This is because they feel as though Idgie is a man. She acts like a guy and they think of her as "one of the guys". It is why they do not see Idgie and Ruth's relationship as something that is so wrong. It is like Ruth is the woman and Idgie is the man in the relationship. Lesbianism is just one of the many issues that this book addresses and it is definitely the one aspect that makes the book so interesting and entertaining.

However, the most overwhelming proof of Idgie and Ruth's homosexual relationship came when Ruth fina

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Approximate Word count = 1674
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels