"She'd never get away from her family as planned, off to the U.S. Army, where you got to travel with a gun and they made everybody help keep things clean. She'd never have only her own concerns to tote" (Woodrell 15).
Ree wishes to leave her family in the future because she is tired of being a caretaker at age sixteen. It is burdensome for Ree to be a mother to her brothers, and be responsible for all the household chores. Her father neglects to supply any means to the family, and her mother's health inhibits her from assisting in any way. Ree has a lot to handle at a young age. She wishes to go into the Army because she will not have to pick up or clean up after anyone else. The Army suits Ree because she will be able to focus some of her attention on herself. The only thing Ree does to sooth her pent up frustrations is "inject herself with pleasant sounds" (10). Listening to the sounds of the ocean allows Ree to escape from her current situation. She is able to find a sense of peace while listening to calming sounds.
Katie-You reflect on a central theme introduced in the opening pages--Ree as surrogate parent in place of her absentee mother and father. The last sentence of your quotation is especially poignant, I think.
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