Swankie

Outer characterization

Swankie is one of Fern’s friends in the movie Nomadland directed by Chloé Zhao. She and Fern meet at the Rubber Tramps Rendezvous organized by Bob Wells. She is almost seventy-five years old. She drives a white van and hangs a pirate flag when she does not want to be disturbed. It seems that Swankie has lived a very interesting life while traveling. For example, she has worked as a model for a carpenter’s wife at the Living History Museum.

Swankie has lung cancer, and she has been told by the doctors that it has spread to her brain and that she only has seven or eight months left to live. Swankie decides to give away all her things and travel to Alaska. At the next Rubber Tramps Rendezvous in early 2013, we find out that Swankie is dead, as the nomads are honoring her by throwing stones into the fire.

Swankie is actually a r...