The Only Book That Has Ever Made Me Cry by Taylor

The Only Book That Has Ever Made Me Cry by Taylor - October 2020 Scholarship Essay

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe takes place in both the 1980s and the 1930s. It first, is a story of a 40 something housewife, Evelyn, who is trapped in her life. She has always been worried what other people will think of her and had never thought of doing things that made her happy until she met Mrs. Ninny Threadgoode. A kind, good-hearted old lady who didn’t care what anyone thought of her. Mrs. Threadgoode helps her to see the good in herself by telling her stories of her life in Whistle Stop, Alabama with two women, daredevil Idgie and sweet beautiful Ruth. The two ran a little barbeque cafe back in the ‘30s that was the place to be.
This book is a fictional book that follows along the lines of how things were in the 1900s. Fannie Flagg wrote and published Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe in 1987. Flagg was born on September 21, 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama in the midst of the time that her story takes place. The town of Whistle Stop is located just outside of Birmingham. Flagg is an actress and author who has written The Whole Town’s Talking, The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion, Can’t Wait to get to Heaven and more. She was also featured in The Dick Van Dyke Show, Grease, Match Game and more. Fried Green Tomatoes was later made into a movie in 1991.
This story is wonderful. It tells of the hardships back in the ‘30s, but also of the fun and joy that came along with the hardships. It was a tough time, but the people of Whistle Stop would help their friends in any way they could. If they had no money at all then they would do chores for their helping friends. If a friend was in a pickle, then everyone was there to help. They had clubs and organizations, like any town, but they were different. No one would go without food in their stomach and clothes on their back if someone in town could help it. Idgie gave many a free meal to the colored people of the community and took the wrath for it. That was not accepted in those times, but Idgie didn’t give a hoot. Fried Green Tomatoes also tells of the problems in the ‘80s, not the same as the old days, but still troubling. Evelyn is trapped like many others, just trying to make the people around her happy. This book does a great job of showing how confusing things can get when you lose yourself. She felt like taking her life or the lives of the people around her many times. But hearing the stories of how simple things could be if she focused on herself helped her to realize that she needed to take some time to find the real Evelyn. The story that Flagg told through Mrs. Threadgoode was absolutely enlightening.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is a wonderful story that has joy and happiness in it as well as sadness. There are deaths in the book but there is also adventure. Fannie Flagg wrote a wonderful book filled with all different things. It made me laugh at times but also cry, towards the end.
This book is impacting in many ways. It is endearing to all and brings you in no matter what. It has suspense, adventure, comedy, happiness, sadness and much more. It has impacted me in a truly wonderful way. It has showed me not to get lost in myself or others, but to pay attention to the world around me. I loved reading Mrs. Threadgoodes story about her childhood and seeing how that story impacted Evelyn. Evelyn felt that she could express herself and finally be who she wanted to be. It nearly killed Evelyn (and me) when she heard the sad news of Mrs. Threadgoodes passing. At the time, Evelyn was away at a resort where she was treated like she had always wanted to be treated, and Ninny had helped her to see this. When she came back, she went to Whistle Stop to see where all of the stories that Mrs. Threadgoode had told her took place, and things truly came full circle. Evelyn was finally happy in her life.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is significant to me personally in that, with Evelyn’s story, it showed me not to let other people decide everything for me. And with the story of Ruth and Idgie, it showed me to live life to the fullest.