Imagery In Seed By Lisa Heathfield

Seed by Lisa Heathfield is set in a cult or “a small community where they worship Nature and idolise their leader, Papa S”. The novel follows the journey of a 15 year old girl named Pearl who had been born and raised in Seed. Mental and sexual abuse is a continuous, recurring subject throughout this story. Heathfield’s representation of this theme is shown through a strong and unsettling use of imagery and the nature setting.

Heathfield highlights to us the danger of being so metaphorically blinded by a person in power that you cannot see the abuse which is happening in front of you. Pearl had always believed being Papa S’s companion was an honour, when really becoming his companion meant sexual expectations and abuse. “‘You’re on your way

up Pearl;’ Kate says, but her words aren’t filled with happiness or even envy. It was more like pity.” (PAGE ?)
Although, when the time came that Papa S had chosen her as his companion she knew something was wrong and her childlike ignorance faded. “I look at his face, at his eyes. The mole on his cheek and the dry hair of his beard. Is Ellis right? Are you just a normal man?” (PAGE ?)

Seed lets you picture the characters going through sexual abuse when reading by imagery through their words and emotions.

For example, when one of Papa S’s companions enters the room with him they look unsettled or upset- and also with the Kindreds. Kate had always left sentences on empty notes, making the audience reading take note on how small she feels, how angry, upset and violated. By Heathfield making the readers feel what the characters in Seed felt at these times takes the imagery technique used to a whole different level. When reading this book and seeing how the characters were abused and mistreated made you feel disgusted and uncomfortable, which Heathfield most likely wanted for the reader to get the point

across.

Mental abuse is used by Papa S and the Kindreds many times throughout the novel and mainly on the women.

For example, when Papa S lured Pearl in his chambers he said “‘We must listen to Nature. Sometimes we must do things that we are unsure of. But they are always what Nature wants, they are always good.’” (PAGE 236). Papa S uses mental abuse to make the victim rethink their choices over time, to think lowly of themselves and make themselves vulnerable to his next actions.Manipulation is also another way he uses mental abuse to make his victims do what he wants. “‘Pearl admit you have done wrong,’ his voice says from beside me, above me, below me. ‘You are wicked. You must admit it to cleanse your soul.’” (PAGE 91)Papa S starts to suspect Pearl changing towards Ellis as he becomes more comfortable at Seed which leads Papa S to confront her a few times using nature as a reasoning behind the confrontation and mental abuse such as, “‘The bees stung you for a reason,’ he eventually says. ‘They were trying to stab away the rotten core that’s growing within you.’” (PAGE 175) and “The screams came from your bones. This time it was Nature calling you, because you have displeased her” (PAGE

91).

Seed lets you picture the characters going through mental abuse when reading by imagery through their words and emotions.

To finish off this essay, it is shown how Heathfield had highlighted the danger of not trusting your instincts and turning away- being ignorant towards what might really be happening. She shows all the ways how abuse can be used such as through manipulation, threats and making the person feel as if they are bad which leads them to being vulnerable. Lisa Heathfield’s use of setting and nature almost makes the book seem a bit eerie and creepy in its own way by isolating hem from the rest of the population so that way no one would know of what happens inside the house and cult.
Seed is not only about a cult, but about family, relationships, abuse, ignorance, love and religion.