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We Were the Mulvaney's: Individuals and Families

© Susan Jensen

While Joyce Carol Oates may not be considered a writer of "classic" novels, she is certainly prolific enough to be mentioned in this column. A writer, poet and playwright, Oates has produced a plethora of novels, short stories and poems. One of her recent books "We Were the Mulvaneys" (1996) was recommended to me. This was the first novel of hers that I have read, but it certainly will not be the last.

In an interview, Oates stated that this novel is "a story about individuals." This is true. However, it is also a tale of how these individuals function (or do not function) as a family unit. Perhaps more fascinating than the characters themselves is this detailed examination of their family life. Watching the once prominent Mulvaneys fall from grace is as disturbing and painful as watching your own family meet a similar fate. The individuals are interesting, but the story of the family is riveting.

The Mulvaney household is made up of Mike and Corinne, parents; Mike Jr., oldest; Patrick, second son; Marianne, only girl; and Judd, youngest child and narrator of the story. In the beginning, Mike Sr. is a jovial man, who is concerned about his appearance as an outstanding citizen of Mt. Ephraim. This deep-seated need for recognition and acceptance becomes his downfall when Marianne is raped by the son of a well-to-do Mt. Ephraim couple. Powerless to help his daughter, he slowly becomes a drunken and violent man. Corinne, on the other hand, is hardly concerned with what others think. Oates continually describes her haphazard appearance and her scorn for the upper-class position her husband so covets. Mike Jr., an athlete and fairly ordinary guy, comes and goes in the story, making only a tiny splash. Patrick, on the other hand, is a fanatic science whiz, who despises his ignorant classmates and neighbors. His genius leaves him in a cold world, where all he can think of his how to exact revenge on his sister's rapist. His sister, Marianne, is a pious Christian girl, whose innocence is complete. When she becomes a victim of rape, her innocence is stolen, her faith nearly extinguished. Banished from her own home, she is forced to roam from place to place to find acceptance. Judd is the most real of the characters. As the youngest, he is often left out of family decisions and crises. We see his family from his point of view, complete with the admiration, fear, loathing and devotion he feels for the individual members.