The Member of the Wedding #4

"In early autumn of every year the Chattahoochee Exposition came to town. For a whole October week the fair went on down at the fairgrounds . . . Frankie had seen all of the members of the Freak House last October . . . Frankie watched Berenice through the mirror, and finally she asked in a slow voice. 'Do I give you the creeps?'" (McCullers, 20-21).

This quote contains symbolism to correlate with the introductory sentence of the novel (see post #1). The Beginning of The Member of the Wedding states that Frankie was not a member of any club. In the above passage, the "members of the Freak House" are discussed (in much greater length in the novel), and Frankie questions Berenice, asking if she gives Berenice the same feeling that the freaks give to onlookers. This question supplemented by corresponding diction suggests Frankie's lack of confidence. Because she is not a member of any club, she wonders if she should be a member of the Freak House. Because of her insecurities, this passage serves to further characterize Frankie who has otherwise appeared firm and insensitive, especially outwardly. Her thought that she may be equated with the "freaks" suggests that she is extremely self-conscious and does not feel comfortable or well-suited to her current environment.