Nikki Jackson Post 1

Throughout the story, thus far, the main character, Lily, has continuously flown away from normalcy to calm her emotions. It’s hard for such a young fourteen year old girl to have to deal with the abuse and criticism of her father, T. Ray. One specific place that she finds refuge is in the peach orchid behind her house.
One night, while still living with her corrupt father, she decides to escape her pain. She collects all of her memories that her mother left behind, and runs out to the orchid. Here she attempts to cope with the sad pain of her mother’s death. She unbuttons her shirt, and lays the memories across herself. Lily becomes one with her surroundings and tries to allow all possible happiness to flow into her abandoned heart. This environment seems to hold metaphorical value, in relation to her mother’s warmth, and the freedom she can allow herself to have internally. Somehow this escape keeps her sane; living with T. Ray, she’s not able to really express her sadness, therefore everything is just bottled up inside and continues to accumulate deep inside herself. Later in the story, this technique is constantly being used to set her free.