Winter’s Bone

by

Daniel Woodrell

Jessup Dolly Character Analysis

Ree’s father, a well-known crystal meth cook. Though he is not physically present in the novel, his absence drives the narrative. Before the start of the novel, in order to get himself out of jail after a recent incarceration—presumably for cooking methamphetamine—Jessup put up as his bond his house and land, a vast swath of ancient, valuable timber woods. It’s eventually revealed that Jessup was murdered for betraying other meth cooks to the police, and the gruesome exhumation of his corpse by Ree and the Thump women is the emotional climax of the book.

Jessup Dolly Quotes in Winter’s Bone

The Winter’s Bone quotes below are all either spoken by Jessup Dolly or refer to Jessup Dolly. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Silence and Secrets Theme Icon
).
Chapter 3 Quotes

Ree nearly fell but would not let it happen in front of the law. She heard thunder clapping between her ears and Beelzebub scratchin’ a fiddle. The boys and her and mom would be dogs in the field without this house. They would be dogs in the field with Beelzebub scratchin’ out tunes and the boys’d have a hard hard shove toward unrelenting meanness and the roasting shed and she’d be stuck along side them ‘til steel doors clanged shut and the flames rose. She’d never have her own concerns.

Related Characters: Ree Dolly, Sonny Dolly, Harold Dolly, Connie Dolly, Jessup Dolly, Deputy Baskin
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

“He cooks crank.”
“Honey, They all do now. You don’t even need to say it out loud.”

Related Characters: Ree Dolly (speaker), Megan (speaker), Jessup Dolly, Little Arthur
Related Symbols: Crystal Meth / Crank
Page Number: 51
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11 Quotes

To have but a few male names in use was a tactic held over from the olden knacker ways…Let any sheriff or similar nabob try to keep official accounts on the Dolly men when so many were named Milton, Haslam, Arthur or Jessup… Jessups, Arthurs, Haslams and Miltons were born to walk only the beaten Dolly path, live and die in keeping with those bloodline customs fiercest held.

Related Characters: Ree Dolly, Sonny Dolly, Harold Dolly, Jessup Dolly, Uncle Teardrop, Thump Milton
Page Number: 62
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16 Quotes

“Somethin’ real wrong was goin’ on, and since then I’ve gone over it and over it in my head and think I finally get why he didn’t even nod my way. He was protectin’ me, see, by ignorin’ me. That’s when I understood your dad had loved me. I understood it from how he’d looked away.”

Related Characters: April (speaker), Ree Dolly, Jessup Dolly
Page Number: 90
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 34 Quotes

“We’ll carry you to your daddy’s bones, child. We know the place.”

Related Characters: Merab (speaker), Ree Dolly, Jessup Dolly
Related Symbols: Jessup’s Hands
Page Number: 180
Explanation and Analysis:
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Jessup Dolly Quotes in Winter’s Bone

The Winter’s Bone quotes below are all either spoken by Jessup Dolly or refer to Jessup Dolly. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Silence and Secrets Theme Icon
).
Chapter 3 Quotes

Ree nearly fell but would not let it happen in front of the law. She heard thunder clapping between her ears and Beelzebub scratchin’ a fiddle. The boys and her and mom would be dogs in the field without this house. They would be dogs in the field with Beelzebub scratchin’ out tunes and the boys’d have a hard hard shove toward unrelenting meanness and the roasting shed and she’d be stuck along side them ‘til steel doors clanged shut and the flames rose. She’d never have her own concerns.

Related Characters: Ree Dolly, Sonny Dolly, Harold Dolly, Connie Dolly, Jessup Dolly, Deputy Baskin
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

“He cooks crank.”
“Honey, They all do now. You don’t even need to say it out loud.”

Related Characters: Ree Dolly (speaker), Megan (speaker), Jessup Dolly, Little Arthur
Related Symbols: Crystal Meth / Crank
Page Number: 51
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11 Quotes

To have but a few male names in use was a tactic held over from the olden knacker ways…Let any sheriff or similar nabob try to keep official accounts on the Dolly men when so many were named Milton, Haslam, Arthur or Jessup… Jessups, Arthurs, Haslams and Miltons were born to walk only the beaten Dolly path, live and die in keeping with those bloodline customs fiercest held.

Related Characters: Ree Dolly, Sonny Dolly, Harold Dolly, Jessup Dolly, Uncle Teardrop, Thump Milton
Page Number: 62
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16 Quotes

“Somethin’ real wrong was goin’ on, and since then I’ve gone over it and over it in my head and think I finally get why he didn’t even nod my way. He was protectin’ me, see, by ignorin’ me. That’s when I understood your dad had loved me. I understood it from how he’d looked away.”

Related Characters: April (speaker), Ree Dolly, Jessup Dolly
Page Number: 90
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 34 Quotes

“We’ll carry you to your daddy’s bones, child. We know the place.”

Related Characters: Merab (speaker), Ree Dolly, Jessup Dolly
Related Symbols: Jessup’s Hands
Page Number: 180
Explanation and Analysis: