The ambiguity of her morals, or her lack there of, is not reflected in what she does but instead in what she does not do. She has the chance to reveal Glenn's ruthless behavior when the doctor tells her that the only way Bone could have broken her coccyx is if she had been beaten (113). Instead she keeps Bone's abuse at the hands of Daddy Glenn hidden from everyone and it is only when Bone's aunt, Raylene, sees the scabs and bruises on Bones legs is the truth revealed (245). Anney's love for her husband makes her susceptible to Glenn when he lies to her about his reasons for beating Bone as well as when he says things like "Someones got to love her enough to care how she turns out"(107). Finally, the thing that is the most sickening about Anney is that after she witnesses Glenn brutally raping her daughter, not only does she not turn him in to the authorities, but she runs away with him (287-91). There is not even a doubt to give him the benefit of, she simply chooses a man that she knows to be a miserable pedophile rapist over to her own daughter. .
Another collection of characters whose actions seem irrational are Bone's uncles. All of them remain in an almost constant state of drunkenness throughout the novel. This point is shown within the first few paragraphs when Bone says "I know that the first time I ever saw Uncle Travis sober was when I was seventeen and they had just removed half his stomach along with his liver"(2). They are always getting into fights, shooting off their guns for fun and racing their pickup trucks under the influence of alcohol (12,22-23). Aside from this is the fact that all of them, especially Earle and Wade, have complete disrespect for women. This is shown by Earle's repeated attempts to get women into bed, some of whom he has children, by marrying them and then leaving them after a couple of months without divorcing them (257).
Another example of disrespect toward women is Wade, who is constantly cheating on his wife Alma, saying to her when regarding their having another child:.