The World Made Straight

The World Made Straight is a southern gothic novel by Ron Rash. Published in 2006, it was made into a movie in 2015. The novel tells the story of Travis Shelton, a teenager living in a small town in North Carolina in the 1970s. As Travis comes of age, he struggles between a longing for home and desire for independence that will shape his sometimes foolish decisions throughout the novel.

The story begins with Travis wandering into the rural area surrounding his hometown to explore. Travis, the reader learns, has quit school because he was bored with it and now helps his father in the tobacco fields. While searching the area for a fishing spot, he trespasses onto private property and discoveries the shed housing the illegal marijuana crop of local farmer Carlton Toomey. Thinking of how much money he can make from selling the marijuana, Travis quickly gathers up as much as he can carry and brings it home with him.

Travis consults with his troublemaker friend Shank, who introduces him to the local drug dealer, Leonard Shuler, who is also a former high school teacher. Leonard agrees to serve as a middleman if Travis will continue to bring him marijuana. However, when Travis returns to the field to steal more, he is caught in a bear trap that Carlton has left out to protect his field.



When he comes to in the hospital, Travis is being cared for by a young candy striper who used to be in his class at school. Her name is Lori Triplett and she has ambitions beyond most of the young people in her hometown. She dreams of passing the nursing exam and having a successful career of her own. She reveals to Travis that she always thought he had the potential to be successful as well, and encourages him to go back to school. However, Travis assures her he is happy working as a tobacco farmer and his father would not support him getting his GED.

Shortly afterwards, Travis has a fight with his father that causes him to leave home. He moves in with Leonard, who is also providing shelter for an older woman named Dena. Dena is addicted to drugs and sometimes has a sexual relationship with Leonard.

It is revealed that Leonard was fired from his teaching job some years ago when a student falsely accused him of a crime. The scandal also caused him to lose his wife and young daughter. He continues to study history on his own, mostly by reading old Civil War journals from people who lived in the area.



Leonard begins to teach Travis about the troubled history of the area. Through their studies, the pair learns that several of Travis’ ancestors died in a Civil War massacre that took place in the region more than 100 years ago. This prompts Travis to think about the troubled history of Appalachia and the social and economic issues that have shaped the region.

Travis begins to date Lori. Though he sometimes resents Leonard and Lori for pressuring him to complete his studies, he eventually gives in and gets his GED. Lori wants Travis to go to college, but he nurses a secret dislike of her for thinking that she can plan his life for him. In addition, he still longs for the approval of his emotionally distant father who wants Travis to remain at home and help work in the tobacco fields.

During an argument, Travis’ father reveals that Leonard is descended from the soldiers who killed their ancestors during the Civil War. Travis feels betrayed by the revelation, since Leonard has been so instrumental in teaching Travis about his past while concealing part of his own.



While out partying with friends one night, Travis discovers Dena, who has been forced into prostitution by Carlton. Travis rescues Dena, ensuring that he can never go back to town or else risk retribution by Carlton. Dena assures him that, regardless of what happened in the past, Leonard is like family to him and will help him. Leonard arranges for Travis to hide with members of his family in a neighboring town. He and Dena flee while Leonard stays behind to attempt to smooth things over with Carlton.

Leonard gives up Dena in an attempt to save Travis’ life, but when Travis tries to defend Dena, Leonard steps in. In the resulting struggle, Leonard and Carlton are killed, but Dena escapes to Nashville and Travis is free to live his life as he sees fit. The bond between Leonard and Travis, which is forged despite the two of them being on opposite sides of a long family feud, proves that the past is both something to be remembered and something that can be overcome in parts of the United States that still bear the scars of the Civil War.