Caldwell's Tobacco Road and McCarthy's Child of God both focus on the quintessential poor white. Tobacco Road follows the Lester family, a poor family from the outskirts of town, struggling for food and money during the Great Depression, while Child of God follows Lester Ballard, a man who lost his land and then loses his life. reason. In these two novels, the theme of decentralization is explored. These authors reduce their characters to their most primitive animal state, reflecting what loss can do to the individual. One of these animal characteristics is the sexual urge. Comparing these two novels and their characters' later attitudes toward sex, it becomes apparent that this animal sexual desire is particularly prevalent in poor white communities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Caldwell's Tobacco Road opens with Lov Bensey on his way home, thinking about his new wife, Pearl, and her avoidance to have sex with him. On the way home, he stops at the house of his father-in-law, Jeeter Lester, to try to convince Lester to talk to Pearl. He states, “I need Pearl as much as a wife as any other man” (4). The reader can assume that this "need for Pearl as a wife" refers to her having sex with him. Through this quote, it immediately becomes apparent how focused Lov is on sex. He is starving and walks seven miles every day to get turnips; however, he is mostly concerned with sex. This may be a normal human desire, but Caldwell differentiates Lov's state of mind from that of the average married man when he writes: "For the last few weeks, Lov had been thinking about taking plow lines and tying beads to the bed of his house. night. He had tried everything he could think of so far, expecting strength, and he was still determined to make her act the way he thought a woman should” (5). After Caldwell provides this insight into Lov's mind, it becomes apparent that Lov no longer has normal, healthy sexual urges. He considers resorting to violence and rape, proving that he will do almost anything to satisfy his sexual urges. After stopping at Lester's house, however, Lov manages to relieve some of his sexual frustrations through the curiosity and determination of Ellie May, his sister-in-law, and his own sexual desires. Caldwell writes that Lov almost forgets about his reluctant wife because, "now that Ellie May had dragged herself all the way across the yard and was now sitting on her legs, Lov could only think of Ellie May" (26). Lov is so focused on his own sexual urges that they become all that matters to him in that immediate moment. He not only forgets his young wife at home, but also “he would forget that he had turnips. She had made him forget everything” (27). You would think that food would be most people's top priority during the Great Depression; However, Lov's animal instincts kicked in in this time of need, and he chose sex over protecting his food. Jeeter Lester, the patriarch of the Lester family, has a wife, so one would assume his sexual urges would be fairly tame; however, this is not the case. After Sister Bessie marries her son, Dude, Lester makes it extremely clear that he lusts after her, disregarding his own wife. After interrupting Sister Bessie and Dude who were attempting to consummate their marriage, Caldwell writes: “Jeeter looked at Bessie. He removed thequilt to see it better” (108). Jeeter has a wife; he shouldn't need to look at other women to be satisfied. However, all this changes with its decentralization. Due to the loss of his land, work and food, he has reverted to a primitive and animal state, trying to find sex wherever he can. Jeeter even says himself: “No matter how many children a man has, he always wants to have more” (109). Jeeter is not afraid to say or show that he wants Bessie. Even with his wife by his side, he tries to see Bessie's naked body (127). He despises love, loyalty and morality, all because he cannot contain his intense and primal sexual urges. However, it is not only men who have sexual urges in this novel, but also some women. This notion is evident in Ellie May's desire to be with Lov, but it is also explored with the character of Sister Bessie. Bessie is sexual throughout the novel, especially when she tries to seduce Dude after their wedding day (105); however, her sexual desires are greater during her stay with Dude and Lester at the Augusta hotel. It is assumed that Bessie prostitutes herself in every room when she states: “Every now and then someone would come and call me into another room. Every room I went to, there was someone sleeping in the bed… I haven't slept except for about an hour a few moments ago. There are certainly many men staying there” (150). Bessie does not protest against any of this prostitution; she goes where she is told and does what is expected of her. Readers might assume that Bessie performs these acts because she believes it is “what women should do” (49); however, she really enjoys changing rooms during the night, exclaiming, "I really had a great time last night." It did me good to stay there” (152). Here it becomes clear that Bessie doesn't accept being a prostitute because she thinks that's what she should do, but that she accepts it because she thinks that's what she should do. she wants to do. Just like the men in this novel, after the loss of her first husband, Bessie has animal and primitive sexual urges that she will fulfill as much as possible. Naming its protagonist Lester Ballard, we can assume that Caldwell's Tobacco Road greatly inspired McCarthy's novel. Child of God; this is apparent not only in the characters' names and settings, but also in the themes of devolution and animal sexual desire. The first glimpse readers get of this primitive way of life is through the characters of the garbage collector and his daughters. One summer day, the garbage collector surprises one of his daughters making love in the woods (27). The boy runs away, and McCarthy writes, "The next thing [the dump] knew, his suit was up to his knees and he was riding it" (27-28). It is the most primitive and animal form that sexual desire can take. The garbage man grabbed his daughter and was probably filled with both excitement and rage, prompting him to rape her. Similar to the "solution" to Lov's rape in Tobacco Road, rape is an impulsive "last resort" decision for both of these characters. They have been without sex for so long and are so full of anger that they are ready to engage in animalistic sexual behaviors. Although the junkyard provides readers with the first example of primitive sexual drives, McCarthy uses the protagonist, Lester Ballard, to explore these drives to their full extent. As Ballard loses his land, he begins his transition into a primitive, animal state. A characteristic of this state is his intense sexual desires, which become evident when he comes across a couple.