In Vivan M. May’s essay about Shanu Mootoo’s cereus Blooms at Night, May makes many claim about the novel. However, the most interesting claim made is when May analyzes the use of allegories in Mootoo’s work. The claim is the allegories that Mootoo uses “pushes readers to delve into the silences and fissures of the known” (May, 108). This claim stood out to me because the story is set in the fictional Caribbean town of Paradise and “suggests a novel that is more allegorical in nature” (May, 108). May goes on to state how the allegories “lie somewhere between fact and fiction” (May, 108). The most interesting example of this in the text is when Mala goes to check on her father’s body. “Did she only imagine the vapour of hot air that passed over the balde?” is a statement that showcases May’s claim (Mootoo, 229). Mala obsessed with her father’s body and at times is convinced he is still alive. Mala’s loss with reality results in Ambrose “fearing once more for his life” and thus, he abandons her (Mootoo, 228). Mala’s break with reality only continues to grow. She isolates herself in her house and “worked until she had created an admirable wall that was almost impenetrable” (Mootoo, 230). Here we see Mala struggling between fact and her version of reality. Mala’s story of abuse and how she is coping with her trauma is a significant part of the novel. The novel is a “collective [of] stories” that are meant “to be heard and understood in new ways” (May, 108).