Character Analysis Of Serena Pemberton In The Book 'Serena'

An Overwhelming Downfall In the book Serena, written by Ron Rash, one will find that some of the characters have an overwhelming sense of who they are and what it is that they establish themselves by. Everyone hits their own definition of rock bottom at some point. However, when each character has who or what it is that brings them their sense of security, they are ultimately consumed by it. In lines 11 and 12 of Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 73,” he writes, “As the death-bed whereon it must expire/ Consum 'd with that which it was nourish 'd by” (Shakespeare), a more poetic approach to the ill destiny that the characters of Serena create for themselves. Unfortunately, the behavior displayed by those in the novel, ultimately results in loss.

Serena Pemberton is a character who is consumed by nobody but herself− it is her own power that eventually destroys her. Being the most dominant character in the novel, Serena is not only respected, yet feared, by those in the logging camp. She is a woman capable of things that most are not. For instance, in part three of Serena, the author states, “…men whose mothers and sisters and wives had died from what Serena had survived” (Rash 214). Not only does she live through such a traumatic pregnancy and birth, but she leaves the hospital sooner than expected (Rash 213), she also heals more rapidly than most (Rash 221). Above all, Rachel Harmon was now a step ahead of Serena, due to the fact that she was the mother of Pemberton’s child, whereas, Serena would never live up to that. Serena was a very motivated woman who only dug a deeper hole for herself, as she became more and more preoccupied with the power that she possessed. Her dominance over everyone never seemed to get out of hand until she found out about Pemberton sending money to Rachel and then child, which is when she soon decided that, she was not married to a man that was as equal to her as she believed. However, it seems as if Serena was not as strong as most think, especially not if Jacob Harmon ended up being the one to murder her. Furthermore, Mrs. Pemberton’s life was not the only life taken by