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Lydia McQueen in THE TALL WOMAN is the essence of a strong mountain woman. Just after she marries, Lydia's husband and father leave to fight in the Civil war. One night, "outliers," robbers who raided vulnerable families around the mountains, invade her mother's home. Lydia, pregnant with her first child, is forced to help her mother recover from the physical and emotional torture. The men have still not returned after a long time, so a very pregnant Lydia takes it upon herself to plow the fields with her milking cow. "If strength was what was called for, then she could be strong. She would be stout enough to carry every day as it came" (Dykeman 35). Lydia's family depended upon her physical and emotional strength, as well as her ambition to keep everything running smoothly while the men were away.

When her husband Mark returns from the war, Lydia is again forced to demonstrate her emotional strength. After witnessing the horrors of war, Mark comes back very cold and angry towards everything. He no longer trusts anyone else, and moves Lydia and their newborn far away from town. Lydia is determined to help him: "the Mark she had known had been lost. Forever? Or could she find him, lead him back to David, to herself, to himself?"(Dykeman 64). Lydia shows an amazing tolerance for Mark's stubborn and cold nature, even when he kills her beloved cow. She is strong enough emotionally to try to turn a stranger back into her husband.

Lydia McQueen also knows what she wants. Besides wanting her husband and children to be happy, Lydia wants the town to have a school so her children can have an education. She stands up to the abominable Ham Nelson, who refuses to support a school, "and we'll have a school here, never fear. Greed can't keep down folks with gumption" ( Dykeman 174). Dr. Hornsby respects her spirit and determination and leaves her the money for a schoolin a letter saying: "the people of this little creek don't deserve the likes of you, but you deserve a school . . . You've got the wellsprings of life in you, Lydia McQueen. May they never run dry" (Dykeman 200).

Lydia proves her independence when Mark leaves her again - this time to look at land out West. Lydia cares for the children (with the help of her Aunt Tildy), does the indoor and outdoor chores, and supports her family financially by finding and selling Ginseng.

Lydia McQueen is a strong mountain woman. Her mother, who never got used to the mountains, tells Lydia, "you're our mountain girl, Lydia, and our natural-born mother" (Dykeman 131). Her determination is exemplified in the way she takes care of her family and fights for a better life for them, "Well, I'm fighting! But to bring strength into this world, not to sap and squeeze and blast it" (Dykeman 90). Lydia loves her family, but remains independent. Patricia Gantt says that Lydia and other strong mountain women, do "not seek institutions or organizations to codify or valorize what they do everyday. They live lives of their own choosing - second to no one, not even the men whose happiness is essential to them (Gantt 21). Lydia McQueen is a tall woman, a perfect example of mountain strength


A Strong Mountain Woman in THE TALL WOMAN

Lydia McQueen in THE TALL WOMAN is the essence of a strong mountain woman. Just after she marries, Lydia's husband and father leave to fight in the Civil war. One night, "outliers," robbers who raided vulnerable families around the mountains, invade her mother's home. Lydia, pregnant with her first child, is forced to help her mother recover from the physical and emotional torture. The men have still not returned after a long time, so a very pregnant Lydia takes it upon herself to plow the fields with her milking cow. "If strength was what was called for, then she could be strong. She would be stout enough to carry every day as it came" (Dykeman 35). Lydia's family depended upon her physical and emotional strength, as well as her ambition to keep everything running smoothly while the men were away. When her husband Mark returns from the war, Lydia is again forced to demonstrate her emotional strength. After witnessing the horrors of war, Mark comes back very cold and angry towards everything. He no longer trusts anyone else, and moves Lydia and their newborn far away from town. Lydia is determined to help him: "the Mark she had known had been lost. Forever? Or could she find him, lead him back to David, to herself, to himself?"(Dykeman 64). Lydia shows an amazing tolerance for Mark's stubborn and cold nature, even when he kills her beloved cow. She is strong enough emotionally to try to turn a stranger back into her husband. Lydia McQueen also knows what she wants. Besides wanting her husband and children to be happy, Lydia wants the town to have a school so her children can have an education. She stands up to the abominable Ham Nelson, who refuses to support a school, "and we'll have a school here, never fear. Greed can't keep down folks with gumption" ( Dykeman 174). Dr. Hornsby respects her spirit and determination and leaves her the money for a schoolin a letter saying: "the people of this little creek don't deserve the likes of you, but you deserve a school . . . You've got the wellsprings of life in you, Lydia McQueen. May they never run dry" (Dykeman 200). Lydia proves her independence when Mark leaves her again - this time to look at land out West. Lydia cares for the children (with the help of her Aunt Tildy), does the indoor and outdoor chores, and supports her family financially by finding and selling Ginseng. Lydia McQueen is a strong mountain woman. Her mother, who never got used to the mountains, tells Lydia, "you're our mountain girl, Lydia, and our natural-born mother" (Dykeman 131). Her determination is exemplified in the way she takes care of her family and fights for a better life for them, "Well, I'm fighting! But to bring strength into this world, not to sap and squeeze and blast it" (Dykeman 90). Lydia loves her family, but remains independent. Patricia Gantt says that Lydia and other strong mountain women, do "not seek institutions or organizations to codify or valorize what they do everyday. They live lives of their own choosing - second to no one, not even the men whose happiness is essential to them (Gantt 21). Lydia McQueen is a tall woman, a perfect example of mountain strength


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