Images

1.       Blue Quilt:

The blue quilt was used a lot throughout the novel by Ruth Popper and Sonny. They definitely always had fun on this quilt. When they were on this quilt, they felt like nothing could get in the way.   It is significant because it was somewhere that they could go, feel comfortable, and connect with one another.

2.       Mexico:

Sonny and Duane took a quick trip to Mexico during the novel. They wanted to get out of Thalia, which rarely people from there did. They wanted to experience new things, but they ended up doing similar things they would have done in Thalia.  They had very little money, but wanted to go anyway and see how everything would turn out. It is significant because this showed the sense of adventure that the boys had. All of a sudden, they decided to hop into Sonny’s pickup truck and drive to Mexico and stay for a few days and drive back to Thalia.  They had no reason at all. They just wanted to do it because they could. They wanted to try and get away from some people and events that were going on in Thalia. This also shows how much a small town can affect people in positive and negative ways.

3.       Pickup Truck:

Sonny’s pickup truck is very significant throughout the story. Sonny drives this pickup truck to all of his adventures.  He also has adventures in it. The pickup truck was the location of the start of his relationship with Charlene which resulted in a lot more relationships after Charlene.  He also had to unequally share the truck with Duane. Duane used the truck a lot with Jacy and Sonny was never pleased about it because it was his truck and he had a thing for Jacy.

4.       Eye Patch:

Another significant image in the story is an eye patch. Sonny used an eye patch at the end of the story because his eye gets badly injured during a fight with Duane and there is a possibility that he could lose his vision in his eye. He ends up being in the hospital for a while and the doctors made him wear an eye patch on his eye. Sonny went back to the pool house and took the eye patch off for a minute and then he heard a commotion outside. Billy was lying dead in the street with two eye patches over his eyes.  This was significant because Sonny was supposed to watch over Billy and instead he unfortunately kills himself by walking in the middle of the street with two patches over his eyes and gets hit by a truck.

5.       Cow:

The Cow is significant in a very weird way. The boys in this novel including Sonny and Duane were always up for trouble and adventures. They thought it would be funny to play around with some cows in a not so nice and flattering way.  This event seemed to start the “sex” trend in the book.

Thalia, Texas

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the words “small town?”
To some, the image of white picket fences surrounding large yards come into mind. To others, maybe the idea of a friendly place where everyone knows each other. It seems that most, if not all, first thoughts of a small town are that of a happy and quaint place to live. To the residents of Thalia, Texas, however, their “small town” is a completely different story.

This classic 1950‘s town is often described as an old, dusty piece of land located in the middle of the Texas Plains. The barren landscape located around the town seems to constrict the it, making Thalia feel isolated from the rest of the world. The protagonist of the novel, Sonny, often describes how lonely the town looks and feels. To him, just like most of the other characters in the novel, Thalia seems to be lacking something, but no one can seem to pinpoint what exactly the town is missing.

“Sometimes Sonny felt like he was the only human creature in the town. It was a bad feeling, and it usually came on him in the mornings early, when the streets were completely empty, the way they were one Saturday morning in late November. The night before Sonny had played his his last game of football for Thalia High School, but it wasn't that that made him feel so strange and alone. It was just the look of the town” (McMurtry 1).

Only in the early morning hours does Sonny see the true colors of the town: it is a dull, lifeless place with little to do. The main sources of entertainment for everyone are the picture show, the cafe and the pool house; even those places are described as old and dusty. Over all the town can not sustain it’s residents, who long for adventures and are forced to find then elsewhere.

As the novel progresses, it is easier to see the decay of a once happy town. The people are becoming more unhappy and the land itself gets drier and drier. Then by the end of the novel Thalia is dying. The central man in the town, Sam the Lion, is dead taking with him the little happiness that was left. Soon after, the picture show announces that it is closing. This marks the end of the “small town era” of the story. The land, people and country are changing, and it is difficult for Thalia to keep up with the new age that is coming along. By the end of the book, the outlook for Thalia is bleak and unpromising. The small, dusty town in the middle of Texas has seen it’s last happy days.

The Odd Couple

By today's standards, a relationship between a high school senior and a middle-aged housewife would be considered inappropriate and vulgar. For example, the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal rocked the media world for months after the story broke. However, the relationship between Sonny and Mrs. Popper (who is coincidentally the wife of Thalia’s football coach) is described without any bias or judgment. The entire town knows about it, yet nobody ever says a word to either participant. It’s as though there’s an unspoken rule about love and sex—that discussions about the two things should stay private, no matter what.

They first began their affair after Sonny drove her to the doctor a few towns over, and continued it throughout his senior year. At first, the reader is given the impression that Sonny only goes to Mrs. Popper for sex. But as their relationship evolves, it’s clear that there is actually some sort of emotional attachment between the two. For example, Sonny occasionally goes to her house just to watch TV or hold hands, rather than engaging in their usual activity.

            Though Sonny becomes fond of Ruth, his feelings are completely overshadowed by hers for him. To be fair, Ruth has never had a proper relationship with anyone, so what she feels with Sonny seems more real to her than her own marriage. Despite this, Ruth feels no guilt about engaging in this illicit activity while tethered to Coach Popper.

            The most important aspect of their affair is the effect it has on Ruth, physically and emotionally. Before they got together, Ruth was pale, lifeless, and lonely. But after Sonny comes into the picture, she becomes fresher and livelier, almost echoing his youthfulness. The effect Sonny has on her is made abundantly clear when the reader sees Ruth at her lowest point—after Sonny has “left.” She loses all her sparkle and enthusiasm for life almost immediately after she realizes he isn’t coming back.

            This relationship plays a central role in “The Last Picture Show,” mainly as a contrast to other connections in the town. While it may seem odd to the reader, it’s interpreted as a fact of life, a sharp contrast to what the relationship would seem today.