Expressing generosity
Discussion 2
It is always important to express generosity to others, especially when they cannot afford what you have. Ninny gives stories about Idgie and how she would provide food to the starving communities during the period of the Great Depression. According to Ninny, Idgie saved many lives during the Depression by getting food from her café and sharing it among the hungry people, especially the blacks and the homeless men. It was not always easy for Idgie to extend her helping hand to those who needed her help because she was tied up by the Jim Crow laws. Ninny tells us that Idgie would disguise herself as the infamous bandit Railroad Bill to avoid the trap of the laws and satisfy her desire to give. Through this, she would at night, sneak into the supply trains belonging to the government and then throw coal and food on the ground for hungry people to find them the following day. These people would feed on the food and use coal as a source of warmth during the cold nights.
The efforts of Idgie were not in vain because many people indeed survived from her energy. It is also by her efforts that more than half of the total population of Whistle Stop were saved from freezing and starvation. A report from the local newspaper indicates that, when Idgie disguised as Railroad Bill, he threw seventeen harm from the train. People in Troutville were so happy to the extent of holding a thanksgiving ceremony. Evelyn is inspired by the narration of Ninny, and she also decides to give it a trial by offering the gift of food. For example, the author says, “Food had become the only thing she looked forward to” (Flagg 359). This quote explains how Evelyn has been touched by the words of Ninny until she decides to practice the same. However, cakes, candy, and pies are the only sweetness in her life, and it is all that she can offer. The quote also implies the importance of food and shelter in human life. These two forms part of the essential things in human life, and people cannot survive without them.
Evelyn is visiting nursing homes, where she shares her food. She is also ready to share her food with her friend Ninny because she, too, likes what Evelyn is offering. However, she is not only giving out sweets because, at other times, but she is also preparing the same food which Ninny used to enjoy at the café. Evelyn also gives money to Ninny so that she can also buy whatever she needs to buy. The mutual association between Ninny and Evelyn shows how strong their friendship bond is, and their art of assisting the poor is copied from Idgie, who was the champion of generosity.
Which is one of the endearing qualities of Idgie?
According to the novel, one of the appealing qualities of Idgie is her love for humanity and her joy for life. She has a good heart that makes her concerned with all people, and it is also because of her love that she is destined to make the world a better place for everyone. Idgie has good communication skills, and she treats all people as human beings. Throughout the novel, Idgie does not teach by lecture but through a parable.