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Mrs. Hines
Bobbie is a sex worker who works in a brothel in the nearest town to where Christmas and the McEacherns live. Though she is significantly older than he is, Christmas develops a crush on her and, after many months of torment, strikes up a relationship with her. Their relationship comes to an abrupt end after Christmas (presumably) kills McEachern.
Bobbie Quotes in Light in August
The Light in August quotes below are all either spoken by Bobbie or refer to Bobbie. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 8 Quotes
“You noticed my skin, my hair,” waiting for her to answer, his hand slow on her body.
She whispered also. “Yes. I thought maybe you were a foreigner. That you never come from around here.”
“It’s different from that, even. More than just a foreigner. You can’t guess.”
“What? How more different?”
“Guess.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Bobbie Character Timeline in Light in August
The timeline below shows where the character Bobbie appears in Light in August. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 8
...house in the middle of the night. He is planning to meet an unnamed woman (Bobbie) at a nearby schoolhouse, where a dance is taking place. Distressed, he is worried that...
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When Joe was 17, he met a petite woman (Bobbie) working as a waitress in a “small, dingy, back street restaurant.” She is older than...
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...men and smoking. Joe feels self-conscious, convinced that everyone inside is watching him. Max calls “Bobbie,” and, hearing this man’s name, Joe is worried that the small waitress has been replaced...
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Though they are facing each other, Joe cannot even bring himself to look at Bobbie. He asks for coconut pie and then, realizing that he only has a dime, cancels...
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...a girl for a nickel. The men sitting around laugh and Joe leaves, humiliated. However, Bobbie comes after him. He explains that he was worried that she paid for his coffee...
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Joe meets Bobbie again two days after he tried to pay her for his cup of coffee, sneaking...
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Bobbie explains that she lives with Mame and Max “from the restaurant.” She laughs at the...
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They meet again the next Monday. Joe is carrying a rope, and leads Bobbie through the rural landscape. Her dress rips on a fence, and he ends up partially...
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Bobbie meets with Max, who derides her for sleeping with a poor farm boy. She assures...
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After Joe buys Bobbie the first gift (a box of candy), she introduces him to Max and Mame. This...
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...have sex, Joe keeps thinking: “Jesus. So this is it.” After, they lie together talking. Bobbie explains that the first time they met she was on her period, and Joe tells...
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The next week, after Joe steals another half dollar for Bobbie, Mrs. McEachern confronts him. She begins to say that she knows he probably needs more...
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One day, Bobbie doesn’t show up at their usual meeting spot. Joe goes to her house and sees...
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Bobbie holds him, and the two of them sit down and talk. She explains that the...
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Chapter 9
...horse, instead going straight inside. Seeing Joe, McEachern runs toward him. Joe is dancing with Bobbie, who sees McEachern and immediately stops, frozen. McEachern attempts to banish Bobbie, calling her “Jezebel”...
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...the floor, seemingly asleep and looking quite peaceful. Joe pauses, still holding the chair, while Bobbie starts screaming at him, calling him a bastard and a son of a bitch.
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...would kill him one day. Finally throwing the chair to the ground, Joe runs after Bobbie, who is getting into a car. He tells her that she should head into town...
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...gets off and begins beating it with a stick. Passing the corner where he and Bobbie used to meet, he thinks about how long ago that period of his life now...
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...suitcases, and wonders how he will be able to carry them all. He goes into Bobbie’s room with her and Max. Inside, Bobbie is sitting on the bed next to a...
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...he doesn’t even understand the words the men are saying. Joe tries to talk to Bobbie, but she ignores him. The stranger tells Joe to “quit stalling” and answer the question....
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...She instructs someone to “take [Joe],” because soon the police will come looking for him. Bobbie is still screaming about Joe being a “n_____ son of a bitch,” lamenting that she...
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Chapter 10
In a blur, Joe hears the voices of everyone leaving the house: Bobbie, Max, Mame, and the stranger. Before they go, they argue about whether they should take...
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...it is. He is suddenly caught by a memory of waiting on the corner for Bobbie, whose name he has now forgotten.
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