Just for the heck of it, I compared Pike County with my county (Gilmer County Georgia). We have the exact same population- actually we have 200 more people- but we have 12 more square miles
We are in the mountains of Appalachia. Our high school graduation % is the same, average yearly income is the same. These people do not consider themselves to be poor. They don't really have aspirations to "make more, go father or rise above." A lot of people here are land rich- but cash poor. Properties have been in certain families for years and years. If you get into a real jam, you can section off a piece and sell it. You can also call the lumber people and sell your timber off your land (which has a big payoff) To offset your taxes, you can declare your land as a tree farm where you plant trees and they are harvested after so many years- these are usually done in cycles. If you don't have it- your neighbor will provide it- and then when they need something, you will provide it. It's a very give and take society.
Now, the problem I see with young Chris- is that he was young Chris. He probably went around with a lot of bravado. He had a brother, cousins, a dad and uncles to back up his mouth. You are generally taught very young that what's in the family- stays in the family- but he could have trusted the wrong person. The same would be true for Frankie- young and full of piss and vinegar- which is why I think he is at the center of this. By the time you reach your 30's you've mellowed out and while you still are going to be doing some wheeling and dealing- you've established a series of friends and families to get you through whatever comes your way. In my opinion the senior members may have had beefs that were very long standing. The younger generation would have newer beefs. I think whatever set this off is a result of whichever one of those boiled over.
The women in the family pretty much know everything that's going on- but they don't talk except amongst themselves. I think the women all knew what was going on- but HG's family would not have known- she would not have talked to them about anything going on at the Rhodens.