Alcohol—particularly “moonshine”—is problematic for the Strong family. Both Hiram and his abusive father were alcoholics; Jed’s drinking dramatically changes his personality for the worse. Yet .. .it becomes the family’s livelihood during Prohibition. Shine even ends up slinging drinks at the Southern Club in Hot Springs to pay off a debt. How do they survive with this cognitive dissonance? And what does it say that none of the Strong daughters drink except for what the job requires?
Survival itself appeared to be the reason for embracing the moonshine business. The families living in the harsh Ozark environment depended on their own resourcefulness by using the only crop that could be cultivated (corn) to create a profitable living (producing and marketing moonshine).
I think the women knew that moonshine was the only thing they had to pay the bills. They saw their father, Hiram, when he was drunk and didn’t want any part of it.
I agree with Laurie and Cheryl. They needed the moonshine business to survive financially but the girls had seen the problem of drinking through their father Hiram and others in the community. They wanted no part of that downfall.
They needed a way to survive and had the talent to make the moonshine, so took advantage of it even though they saw what it did to the men in their lives. I think women are just inherently stronger against things like getting drunk, especially when so many people are dependent upon them to keep the family afloat. They knew they needed to keep their wits about them so they could continue to care for the farm and get their chores done instead of being hungover every day and not getting their work done.
This phenomena was replicated in other cultures, too. Near poverty families in NYC in past history depended on the father’s income for survival. Sadly, that money was spent in taverns. I’m unsure what this says. “Not enough money for the family to survive so I might as well get a drink or two.” “I worked hard for these meager wages. I deserve a reward. All the other neighborhood men drink, too.” Lots of sadness. I suspect the same holds true today for wages spent on alcohol, gambling, porn, drugs, etc. instead of the family.
In order to survive during that time period, moonshine sold easily because it was prohibited. Don’t we all want things we can’t have. Keeping one step ahead of the law was imperative. The distinct “flavors” Shine helped to make their business profitable. More money for food etc.
It was just a way of life for them. It seemed the men drank and women did not. It was just their way of life. For Hiram..his grief lead to more drinking.
In Hiram’s case, I think he became a moonshiner because of it was considered a way to make a living. Sure, he drank some of his profits, but he was not what one would call a “mean drunk”. Jed was so self-centered and self-important, he drank for the fun of it. It is not surprising that the Sisters didn’t drink. I think they saw what happens when people rely on alcohol and become addicted. In my own family, my mother didn’t touch alcohol due to experiences with her father’s dependence on it that eventually destroyed his life.
I have seen the difficulties from alcohol in my own family, which in turn has made me very careful so that I don’t drink alcohol. I have no problem serving it to others and keeping it around the house. But this is not true for so many, it really is a disease that not only hurts the person drinking but often their families. I was not surprised that the Strong women did not drink, they saw moonshine as a business but also saw the dangers of excessive drinking.