Ree’s best friend from high school, forced to drop out after becoming pregnant. Gail is Ree’s ally and confidante, and helps her with both her hunt for her father and with the care of her younger brothers. Gail’s constant struggles against her cheating husband, Floyd, bring her closer to Ree—she lives with her for a time, though Gail eventually returns to her husband’s home when Ree’s troubles with the neighboring Ozark clans escalate, and she fears for the safety of her son.
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Gail Lockrum Character Timeline in Winter’s Bone
The timeline below shows where the character Gail Lockrum appears in Winter’s Bone. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 7
Before reaching home, Ree stops off at the Langans’ home; her best friend, Gail Lockrum, was “required by pregnancy” to marry Floyd Langan. Now the two live together in...
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Ree and Gail go into Gail’s bedroom, where Ree fills her in on all that’s been happening with...
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Chapter 15
...approaching, and Ree readies a shotgun. Once the figure draws closer, Ree realizes it is Gail and her baby. Ree laughs and embraces Gail, telling her she “knew she wouldn’t eat...
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Chapter 16
Gail tells Ree that her husband has been cheating on her; he has been visiting his...
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Gail and Ree, with baby Ned in tow, begin their drive to Reid’s Gap. Gail tells...
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As Gail drives, Ree reminisces about how she and Gail used to practice kissing with each other...
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Chapter 17
On the drive back to Rathlin Valley, Ree and Gail are held up at the Twin Forks River by a farmer and his wife—a rockslide...
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Ree runs back to the truck, where Gail is changing Ned. Ree tells Gail that she saw her father’s car, and that they...
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Chapter 18
...sound of the knock at the front door. Ree goes to answer it, and finds Gail on the porch. Gail’s husband, angry with her for staying out so late at night,...
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Chapter 19
Back at home, Gail emerges from the house, a cup of coffee in her hands. She watches while Ree...
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Chapter 22
After dark, Floyd arrives at the house with Ned. Gail nurses Ned while Floyd pleads with her to come home. Gail tells him that things...
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Chapter 23
...town, Ree pushes a broken shopping cart through the aisles—Ned sits in the basket, and Gail helps with the shopping. While Ree picks out groceries, she wonders aloud to Gail what...
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...says, “unless you can prove he’s dead.” Mike leaves, and Ree turns around to see Gail standing in the open doorway. “Don’t you dare go back there,” Gail tells Ree. They...
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Chapter 27
Back at home, Gail helps Ree to clean herself. Ree is in tremendous pain, and she soaks in the...
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Chapter 28
...women, remarking that “there’s never no call to do a girl like that.” Sonya gives Gail some pain pills for her to feed to Ree, instructing her to start with two...
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Chapter 29
...assailants, but Ree tells them to let her sleep. In the midst of terrible dreams, Gail offers Ree some more pills. When Ree gets up to go to the bathroom, she...
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Chapter 30
...a frightful vision of herself turning into her mother, lost to the world and “crazy.” Gail, after washing up the breakfast dishes, tells Ree that there is somewhere she wants to...
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On the way out to the truck, Ree and Gail see some Dolly women off in the distance talking hushedly with some Hawkfall women. Gail...
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While driving, Gail asks Ree what her plans are. Ree tells Gail that she will send Sonny to...
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Gail and Ree arrive at Bucket Spring—a freezing lake that Gail hopes will help to soothe...
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