Freaky Green Eyes
Encyclopedia
For the Fourth of July, Franky and Samantha go with their father to Cape Flattery to stay with one of his friends. While there, Franky learns that Reid's friend's sons steal animals from a wildlife refuge
and put them in cages to make their own zoo. In the middle of the night, Franky releases all the animals. When confronted about it the next morning, she confesses but says she's not sorry. Enraged, Reid grabs Franky and shakes her very hard, stopping only after his friend pulls him away.
Later that month, Reid finally lets the girls go down to Skagit Harbor to visit their mother. Franky vaguely remembers the cabin from her childhood, recognizing the fake rooster
she had thought was real as a kid. Krista shows them around the property, including a small burrow hidden underneath a rock, but the reunion is cut short when Reid arrives, yelling at Franky and Samantha to pack up and get in his car. When they get in, Reid tells them Krista is having an affair and they should never forgive her for it.
After that, Krista tries to call and talk to her daughters, but Reid tells the new housekeeper to forbid it. Twyla, Franky's best friend, tells Franky that Krista calls her to talk about Franky and see how she is. Twyla tells Franky that Krista said, "Don't forget Mr. Rooster!" One night, Franky phones Krista and angrily tells her she never wants to see her again. The next day, she regrets what she said and tries to find her mother's number but can't find it. She had no idea the conversation the night before would be their last.
Krista (and her friend Mero Okawa) disappear. The police interview Franky about where Reid had been that night, but Franky says Reid took medication for a headache and slept the entire night. During the interview, she expresses her anger at her mother, only referring to her as "Krista Connor," not "mom." As a result of media attention on the case, Franky and her family move Reid's defense lawyer's house on Vashon Island
. While there, the defense lawyer coaches Samantha and Franky, telling them that if Reid would have left in the middle of the night, they would have heard him leave.
During this time, "Freaky" tries to convince Franky that something is not right. Franky searches the Internet and discovers that police investigators found "non-human" blood in the cabin, which she concludes belonged to the dog. One night, Franky dreams about her mother's cabin, and in the dream, the fake rooster is crowing. The next morning, Franky skips school and heads towards Skagit Harbor to visit her mother's cabin. She walks over toward the barn and looks into the secret burrow, where she finds her mother's journal, which Krista had kept throughout her separation with Reid. In the journal, Krista writes about how Reid beat and her threatened to kill her. After reading the journal, Franky realizes what her father has done. She also recalls waking up the night her mother disappeared, hearing Reid coming into the house through a door they never use. Franky calls her Aunt Vicky to pick her up and they go to the police station. In a second interview, Franky tells the police the truth, not what she has been coached to say by her father or the defense lawyer.
Reid is convicted and sentenced to 50 years-to-life without parole for the deaths of Krista and Mero, whose bodies were found dumped at Deception Pass. Franky and Samantha, in the custody of their aunt, move to New Mexico
.
and her friend, Ronald Goldman
stabbed to death in Brown's home. The publicity during this case was greater than any murder trial seen, due to Simpson's fame as former professional football player and actor. After nine months of the criminal trial, the jury returned a not-guilty verdict. Years after the trial's conclusion, the case remains a public obsession.
Oates described what was going on in the Simpson trial as "tabloid hell:" a person cannot go anywhere without someone knowing who they are and what was going on in their life. Similarly, in Freaky Green Eyes, Reid Pierson's character has much in common with O.J. Simpson. He's a former pro-football player (as was Simpson) and also a sports broadcaster (which Simpson was as well). It has been described in the book that Reid had a charismatic personality, which many say was characteristic of Simpson too. Oates said, "I'm focusing on how a person who is a celebrity is so admired that he casts a kind of aura, that people stare at the aura, and they don't really want to see that the person himself is somewhat stunted." Oates wanted to shed some light on the society's mentality toward celebrities accused of grave crimes. People don't want to believe it because the person is famous. Through her novel, Oates is saying that just because someone (celebrity or not) presents himself or herself as something does not mean it is what they truly are. The novel makes that point when Reid Pierson is accused of being involved in the disappearance of Krista and Mero and the media makes up stories (or excuses). For example, the media came up with a story that Krista and Mero were lovers and decided to run away together.
Oates goes on to say that other events, such as the Monica Lewinsky controversy
, show how tabloid journalism has gotten into society. She uses the Lewinsky case as an example because even the New York Times
's coverage of the scandal was similar to how tabloids cover stories.
While Franky is the narrator, there are times in which the reader hears from someone else: Freaky, Franky's alter-ego. Throughout the novel, Franky tries to cope with and understand the whole situation. Most of the time she trusts that Reid tells her the truth. But that's where Freaky comes in. She tries to make Franky see the truth beyond Reid's lies, even though its not something Franky wants to believe. For example, when Reid tells Franky Krista will come back and Franky wants to believe him, Freaky tells her, "You know your mother is gone. You know she isn't coming back. Freaky knows." Deep down, Franky knows her father had something to do with her mother's disappearance and that Krista was not coming back, but she didn't want to believe it. Freaky was trying to help Franky accept the truth.
Freaky was not only a guide to help Franky seek the truth, but she was also the source of Franky's ethics. During Franky's trip for the Fourth of July, she meets the boys who had been taking animals out of a wildlife refuge and placing them in cages on their property. They were under-feeding the animals and treating them poorly, so Franky does what's right, saying it was out of "Freaky Green Eyes rush". Oates said Freaky was born out of her own inability to do things she wanted to do
Freaky stopped Franky from being so naive and boosted her confidence in herself and her opinions. Without Freaky, Franky would not have been able to help solve the mystery about her mother. She wouldn't have been able to do the right thing.
. The novel was written in a diary-like way from Franky's point of view after the fact, reflecting on the events leading to her mother's murder. The first sign of abuse was Krista wearing scarves and long sleeved shirts to cover up body parts, hiding the bruises underneath. Franky suspected it but never addressed it with her mother. Franky and Samantha had the attitude that silence was better, even though Reid abused them too. They even lied to the police when asked about if their parents had fought. Since Franky, Samantha and Krista were all silent about what had been going on, Reid never stopped abusing them. It has been said that, "silence is not a neutral act; rather, it is a politically regressive one that passively permits the continuation of violence". After Franky investigates herself and finds Krista's diary, justice is done when Reid is arrested, convicted and sentenced.
This is not the first time Oates writes about domestic violence. Oates' 1985 novel Solstice tells another story of abuse but with a different attitude. The main character in that novel, Monica, never says she was in an abusive relationship even after her boyfriend left a large scar on her jaw. Between these two books, Oates was showed how the view of domestic violence has change between the time the books were released. "The roughly 20 years between the publication of Solstice and Freaky Green Eyes do represent a paradigm shift in our thinking, but the ultimate message of Freaky Green Eyes is that American society [circa 2003] still has a long way to go in terms of how we deal with the problem." The problem still relevant today is: Reid never would have been punished without Franky's sole detective work. It would not be surprising if in 2020 Oates writes another novel with the same domestic violence theme and shows how society reacts to it then.
named it one of 2003's, "most compelling fiction". Publishers Weekly
gave Freaky Green Eyes a starred review saying that, “Oates builds the mounting tension masterfully, crafting a fast-paced narrative that will haunt readers long after the final page."
Wildlife refuge
A wildlife refuge, also called a wildlife sanctuary, may be a naturally occurring sanctuary, such as an island, that provides protection for species from hunting, predation or competition, or it may refer to a protected area, a geographic territory within which wildlife is protected...
and put them in cages to make their own zoo. In the middle of the night, Franky releases all the animals. When confronted about it the next morning, she confesses but says she's not sorry. Enraged, Reid grabs Franky and shakes her very hard, stopping only after his friend pulls him away.
Later that month, Reid finally lets the girls go down to Skagit Harbor to visit their mother. Franky vaguely remembers the cabin from her childhood, recognizing the fake rooster
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
she had thought was real as a kid. Krista shows them around the property, including a small burrow hidden underneath a rock, but the reunion is cut short when Reid arrives, yelling at Franky and Samantha to pack up and get in his car. When they get in, Reid tells them Krista is having an affair and they should never forgive her for it.
After that, Krista tries to call and talk to her daughters, but Reid tells the new housekeeper to forbid it. Twyla, Franky's best friend, tells Franky that Krista calls her to talk about Franky and see how she is. Twyla tells Franky that Krista said, "Don't forget Mr. Rooster!" One night, Franky phones Krista and angrily tells her she never wants to see her again. The next day, she regrets what she said and tries to find her mother's number but can't find it. She had no idea the conversation the night before would be their last.
Krista (and her friend Mero Okawa) disappear. The police interview Franky about where Reid had been that night, but Franky says Reid took medication for a headache and slept the entire night. During the interview, she expresses her anger at her mother, only referring to her as "Krista Connor," not "mom." As a result of media attention on the case, Franky and her family move Reid's defense lawyer's house on Vashon Island
Vashon Island
Vashon is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon-Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 10,624 at the 2010 census. At , it is about 60 percent larger...
. While there, the defense lawyer coaches Samantha and Franky, telling them that if Reid would have left in the middle of the night, they would have heard him leave.
During this time, "Freaky" tries to convince Franky that something is not right. Franky searches the Internet and discovers that police investigators found "non-human" blood in the cabin, which she concludes belonged to the dog. One night, Franky dreams about her mother's cabin, and in the dream, the fake rooster is crowing. The next morning, Franky skips school and heads towards Skagit Harbor to visit her mother's cabin. She walks over toward the barn and looks into the secret burrow, where she finds her mother's journal, which Krista had kept throughout her separation with Reid. In the journal, Krista writes about how Reid beat and her threatened to kill her. After reading the journal, Franky realizes what her father has done. She also recalls waking up the night her mother disappeared, hearing Reid coming into the house through a door they never use. Franky calls her Aunt Vicky to pick her up and they go to the police station. In a second interview, Franky tells the police the truth, not what she has been coached to say by her father or the defense lawyer.
Reid is convicted and sentenced to 50 years-to-life without parole for the deaths of Krista and Mero, whose bodies were found dumped at Deception Pass. Franky and Samantha, in the custody of their aunt, move to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
Main characters
- Francesca "Franky" Pierson - The 15-year-old narrator and protagonist that keeps a journal to reflect on the time before her mother went missing.
- Krista Pierson - Franky and Samantha's mother and also Todd's stepmother. Her maiden name is Connor (which the name she used to sign her artwork). She had been a TV announcer before marrying Reid.
- Reid Pierson - Franky, Samantha, and Todd's abusive father. He had been a famous professional football player before becoming a sportscaster for CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. - Samantha Pierson - Franky's 10-year-old sister.
- Todd Pierson - Franky and Samantha's 20-year-old stepbrother who followed in his father's footsteps and plays college football.
- Rabbit - Krista's Jack Russell terrierJack Russell TerrierThe Jack Russell terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. It is principally white-bodied smooth, rough or broken-coated which is commonly confused with the Parson Russell terrier and the Russell terrier with the term "Jack Russell" commonly misapplied to other small white...
dog. - Mero Okawa - Krista's gay friend in Skagit Harbor. Reid thought he was Krista's lover.
- Bonnie Lynn Byers - Reid's first wife and Todd's mother. She was killed in a boating accident. Reid was the only witness. Her case was reopened after Krista's case was concluded.
Effect of tabloid journalism
Oates has said that her inspiration for the book was, "the O.J. Simpson case without the whole racial angle" The infamous O.J. Simpson case unfolded in 1994 with the discovery of O.J. Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown SimpsonNicole Brown Simpson
Nicole Brown Simpson was a former wife of professional football player O. J. Simpson.- Relationship with O. J. Simpson :...
and her friend, Ronald Goldman
Ronald Goldman
Ronald Lyle "Ron" Goldman was an American waiter and an aspiring model. He was murdered along with Nicole Brown Simpson, former wife of O. J. Simpson, an actor and retired American football player. The subsequent criminal investigation and trial against O. J...
stabbed to death in Brown's home. The publicity during this case was greater than any murder trial seen, due to Simpson's fame as former professional football player and actor. After nine months of the criminal trial, the jury returned a not-guilty verdict. Years after the trial's conclusion, the case remains a public obsession.
Oates described what was going on in the Simpson trial as "tabloid hell:" a person cannot go anywhere without someone knowing who they are and what was going on in their life. Similarly, in Freaky Green Eyes, Reid Pierson's character has much in common with O.J. Simpson. He's a former pro-football player (as was Simpson) and also a sports broadcaster (which Simpson was as well). It has been described in the book that Reid had a charismatic personality, which many say was characteristic of Simpson too. Oates said, "I'm focusing on how a person who is a celebrity is so admired that he casts a kind of aura, that people stare at the aura, and they don't really want to see that the person himself is somewhat stunted." Oates wanted to shed some light on the society's mentality toward celebrities accused of grave crimes. People don't want to believe it because the person is famous. Through her novel, Oates is saying that just because someone (celebrity or not) presents himself or herself as something does not mean it is what they truly are. The novel makes that point when Reid Pierson is accused of being involved in the disappearance of Krista and Mero and the media makes up stories (or excuses). For example, the media came up with a story that Krista and Mero were lovers and decided to run away together.
Oates goes on to say that other events, such as the Monica Lewinsky controversy
Lewinsky scandal
The Lewinsky scandal was a political sex scandal emerging in 1998 from a sexual relationship between United States President Bill Clinton and a 25-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The news of this extra-marital affair and the resulting investigation eventually led to the impeachment of...
, show how tabloid journalism has gotten into society. She uses the Lewinsky case as an example because even the New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
's coverage of the scandal was similar to how tabloids cover stories.
The meaning of "Freaky"
Freaky was not only a guide to help Franky seek the truth, but she was also the source of Franky's ethics. During Franky's trip for the Fourth of July, she meets the boys who had been taking animals out of a wildlife refuge and placing them in cages on their property. They were under-feeding the animals and treating them poorly, so Franky does what's right, saying it was out of "Freaky Green Eyes rush". Oates said Freaky was born out of her own inability to do things she wanted to do
Freaky stopped Franky from being so naive and boosted her confidence in herself and her opinions. Without Freaky, Franky would not have been able to help solve the mystery about her mother. She wouldn't have been able to do the right thing.
Domestic violence
Krista (as well as Franky and Samantha) were all victims of Reid's domestic violenceDomestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
. The novel was written in a diary-like way from Franky's point of view after the fact, reflecting on the events leading to her mother's murder. The first sign of abuse was Krista wearing scarves and long sleeved shirts to cover up body parts, hiding the bruises underneath. Franky suspected it but never addressed it with her mother. Franky and Samantha had the attitude that silence was better, even though Reid abused them too. They even lied to the police when asked about if their parents had fought. Since Franky, Samantha and Krista were all silent about what had been going on, Reid never stopped abusing them. It has been said that, "silence is not a neutral act; rather, it is a politically regressive one that passively permits the continuation of violence". After Franky investigates herself and finds Krista's diary, justice is done when Reid is arrested, convicted and sentenced.
This is not the first time Oates writes about domestic violence. Oates' 1985 novel Solstice tells another story of abuse but with a different attitude. The main character in that novel, Monica, never says she was in an abusive relationship even after her boyfriend left a large scar on her jaw. Between these two books, Oates was showed how the view of domestic violence has change between the time the books were released. "The roughly 20 years between the publication of Solstice and Freaky Green Eyes do represent a paradigm shift in our thinking, but the ultimate message of Freaky Green Eyes is that American society [circa 2003] still has a long way to go in terms of how we deal with the problem." The problem still relevant today is: Reid never would have been punished without Franky's sole detective work. It would not be surprising if in 2020 Oates writes another novel with the same domestic violence theme and shows how society reacts to it then.
Reception
Freaky Green Eyes received positive reviews. ALA Booklist called it a, "fast-paced, first-person thriller." The Boston HeraldBoston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
named it one of 2003's, "most compelling fiction". Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
gave Freaky Green Eyes a starred review saying that, “Oates builds the mounting tension masterfully, crafting a fast-paced narrative that will haunt readers long after the final page."
Publication history
- Oates, Joyce Carol. Freaky Green Eyes. New York: HarperTempest, 2003. Oclc 181100387
- Oates, Joyce Carol. Freaky Green Eyes. New York: HarperTempest, 2003. Oclc 50598191
- Oates, Joyce Carol, and Stina Nielsen. Freaky Green Eyes. Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, Inc, 2004. Oclc 55377460
- Oates, Joyce Carol, and Stina Nielsen. Freaky Green Eyes. Prince Frederick, Md: Recorded Books, 2004. Oclc 56081594
- Oates, Joyce Carol, and Stina Nielsen. Freaky Green Eyes.Prince Frederick, Md: Recorded Books, 2004. Oclc 56479447
- Oates, Joyce Carol, and Stina Nielsen. Freaky Green Eyes. Prince Frederick, Md: Recorded Books, 2004. Oclc 56596419
- Oates, Joyce Carol, and Stina Nielsen. Freaky Green Eyes. Prince Frederick, Md: Recorded Books, 2004. Oclc 56604722
- Oates, Joyce Carol. Freaky Green Eyes. London: HarperCollins Children's Books, 2004. Oclc 58831346
- Oates, Joyce Carol. Freaky Green Eyes . London: Collins, 2004. Oclc 56645948
- Oates, Joyce Carol. Freaky Green Eyes. London: HarperCollins Children's Books, 2004. Oclc 475267044
- Oates, Joyce Carol, and Stina Nielsen. Freaky Green Eyes. Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, 2004. Oclc 55154644
- Oates, Joyce Carol. Freaky Green Eyes. New York: HarperTempest, 2005. Oclc 57723099
- Oates, Joyce Carol. Freaky Green Eyes [Hauptbd.]. Braunschweig: Diesterweg, 2008. Oclc 426146741
Similar books from Oates
Other novels by Joyce Carol Oates with similar themes and/or protagonists:- Solstice
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- Marya: A Life
- My Sister, My LoveMy Sister, My LoveMy Sister, My Love is a 2008 novel by Joyce Carol Oates. It is her 37th published novel. It reimagines the JonBenet Ramsey murder, with ice-skating champion Bliss Rampike standing in for JonBenet, and is narrated by her surviving older brother, Skyler Rampike.The book received generally positive...