“PohPoh bent her body forward and, as though doing a breast stroke, began to part the air with her arms. Each stroke took her higher until she no longer touched the ground… She practiced making perfect, broad circles, like a frigate bird splayed out against the sky in an elegant V. Down below, her island was soon lost among others, all as shapeless as specks of dust adrift on a vast turquoise sea.” (Mootoo 186).
Throughout Shani Mootoo’s novel Cereus Blooms at Night, nature and escape are persistent themes working in conjunction with each other. Mala, the protagonist, is first abandoned by her mother and aunt, then by her community (which turns a blind eye to her abusive father), then her sister Asha, and finally, her lover Ambrose. With each instance of abandonment, Mala is left behind as the only source of protection for herself and those she loves. Despite constantly sacrificing her safety for the well-being of others, her support structure gradually erodes until she is eventually left entirely on her own.
Mala’s relationship with nature traces the abandonment she experiences. As she becomes more isolated living with her abusive father, she increasingly turns to nature as a means of escape and protection. While each of her loved ones escaped by physically leaving, abandoning Mala in the process, Mala escapes by becoming engrossed in the natural world. This begins after her mother and Aunt Lavinia flee, then drastically progresses – Mala collects natural elements, saves animals and bugs, lets her yard become overgrown, and begins to speak entirely with bird sounds. The culmination of this intertwining relationship between escape and nature seemingly occurs within the above passage, when Mala imagines seeing a younger version of herself named PohPoh take flight.
The act of flying is so commonly associated with escape that phrases such as “taking flight” are understood to mean fleeing a situation. While the imagery of PohPoh lifting off the ground and soaring through the sky certainly generates this association, it is the leisure of her actions that indicates her escape is a final, permanent state. She “practiced” flying in circles until they were “perfect,” which suggests freedom of time and a lack of pressure from outside sources (Mootoo 186). As she flies, she observes that Lantanacamara, the site of her entire life and all of her troubles, was “lost” like “specks of dust,” revealing how far removed – physically and mentally – she now is from her past life (Mootoo 186). Her home becomes rapidly inconsequential as she imagines her younger self flying away, escaping forever.
This scene can be viewed as Mala freeing a younger version of herself, one who she wished had received protection during her actual lifetime, by releasing her into the natural world. By using a simile to compare PohPoh to a “frigate bird,” this passage emphasizes how Mala copes with traumatic situations by escaping into nature (Mootoo 186). The comparison of PohPoh to frigate birds is symbolic, as they are known for flying in tropical climates at high altitudes. This once again suggests that Mala has released a part of herself to be fully free and distanced from her past traumas. Additionally, it alludes to Mala’s extensive knowledge of the natural world and her final transformation into a part of this environment. By imagining herself as a frigate bird, Mala gives herself the protection she wishes she had received as a child.
I love this interpretation of Mala imagining herself flying away. It reminds me of other stories of people dreaming they could fly. Peter Pan is a good example of that. The Darling siblings fly away to Neverland to escape mundane life and have magical adventures with Peter, Tinker Bell, and the Lost Boys. Another example of this is all of the superheroes who can fly that kids dream they could be. This fantasizing is an escape from life, and Mala is forced to take that to an extreme level of where she believes her fantasies are real. I never thought of it through this lens but I completely agree with what you said!!
I love how you highlight the novel’s use of nature along with the theme of escapism that is seen throughout the story as well. I think these are two of the more interesting aspects in the novel, as many people in Lantanacamara feel the need to escape because of their various identities. The idea of nature vs. nurture is also present in the novel, as well as the more literal meaning of nature (insects, bugs, etc). Your post reminded me of puglvrrrs’ post because you write about how Mala uses “taking flight” through mimicking nature as a form of escapism/control over her life, while their post talks about how Mala used language or lack thereof to control and escaper her life. You both explore the different coping mechanisms Mala uses.
I liked how you highlighted how Mala turns to nature more as she is abandoned by the people around her. I saw her relationship and care for the natural world as a way for her to take care of and protect its innocents, something that was not done for her. Nature was the one constant in Mala’s life that did not hurt her, which I think is why she let her yard become a sanctuary. Her yard was the safe space for nature that she wished she had had as a child.