Lydia’s Loopholes: The Garret, Trapdoor, and Gimlet Holes as Escape Mechanisms

To begin approaching an analysis of the chapter title “The Loophole of Retreat,” I asked a couple friends what their associations with the word “loophole” are. Words like “legal,” “white collar,” “politicians,” “corporations,” and “universities” were prevalent responses, confirming my original perspective of the word having a legal or professional connotation—implying someone in a position…

Traditions as a Coping Mechanism: Recipes in Sassafrass, Cypress, and Indigo

Having now personally reenacted the Moon Journey written by Indigo, I know these traditions to be capable of inciting a powerful emotional response. This realization pushed me to reexamine the purposeful placement of the recipes throughout the novel in order to achieve a better understanding of the three sisters and the text generally. The recipes…

Duty in the Kitchen, Liberty at the Loom: An Analysis of Sassafrass’ Modes of Creation

Last week, I enacted the scene in Sassafrass, Cypress, and Indigo on pages 74-75, where Sassafrass cooks dinner. I made a variation of the fish with red sauce and a vegetable side. Like Sassafrass, I did breathing exercises while preparing the ingredients and relevés while waiting for the fish to broil—embodying her physical state and…

Music, Magic, and Martyrdom—Exploring Questions of Freedom in Guava Island

After brainstorming for each of the prompt questions, I felt the most interested and engaged in prompt number 2. I was absolutely blown away by Guava Island—the message, the music, the performances, the magic—and feel compelled to write about it, to think about it, and to encourage discussion of it in class. I think before…