Shades of Gray

Before moving in with Uncle Jed and Aunt Ella, there is no evidence that Will has come across anyone in his life who sees things differently than he does. He shares his father’s exact views on the world, and neither his mother nor his older brother is presented as having shown him any other views. Everyone around him believes in the value of owning enslaved people and in the value of fighting for states’ rights in the Civil War. Doc Martin tries to give him some insight into why Uncle Jed may not have fought in the war, but Will is too consumed with anger and hatred to hear him and understand what he is saying.

Through conversations with his aunt, uncle, and cousin, Will encounters different views. Through his cousin Meg, he begins to understand his city and wealth biases. When Meg and Will arrive at the river to fish, Will tells his cousin how the river pales in comparison to the Shenandoah. This disparaging comment frustrates Meg, and she calls him out for believing everything in the city is better than it is in the country. Until this point, Will does not realize that he is doing this. In the end, his opinion about the country changes, as demonstrated through his decision to stay in the country even though he has the option to return to the city. He would not have noticed his biases against country life, however, if his cousin had not pointed them out to him. Will needs this mirror perhaps more than many people because one of his central personality traits is his self-centeredness.

Will starts to see himself more clearly when his uncle points out the boy’s hatred. Prior to this conversation, Will believed he was justified in his feelings about the Yankees, and he never considered himself to be a hateful person. When his uncle accuses Will of being hateful, however, Will sees how narrow his thinking has been. His uncle had never spoken very harshly to him, so his sharp words provide him with clear insight into how he has been acting. He does not immediately change his views, but these estimations by his uncle help him see himself differently and eventually change those things about himself that he does not like.

Will starts to see his choices differently through a conversation with his aunt. He tells his aunt that he had to fight Hank because Hank threatened Meg and because refusing to fight would make him look like a coward. Aunt Ella tells him that just because a person is deemed a coward does not mean that he is one. She also tells him that people always have choices. Will had never considered either of these ideas before. Because of Aunt Ella, he is able to see his situation more clearly.

Through Will, Reeder highlights to her readers the importance of being exposed to other views and opinions as a valuable part of maturation and growth. Will’s black-and-white thinking is never held up as the preferred way. Rather, through his conversations and experiences with others who do not think like him, he progresses to seeing the shades of gray referenced in the book’s title. His coming of age results when he expands his thinking, allows others to inform his thinking and self-perception, and acknowledges that he is not the only one with the right view.