Why The Vanishing Half: A Couple's Journey?

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Vassilios Makris Mr. Caswell American Literature 12 April 2024 The grasp of home Sometimes home is not always a place, in many ways, a home is seen as a collective group of ideas that find a station in a particular place. In Brit Bennet's novel “The Vanishing Half” twins Desiree and Stella both lived in the same town until the age of sixteen, filling out the mold made for them. Soon after leaving, each of the two went on to have many journeys and experiences rooted in their time spent at home. Both twins went on to live life as opposites, yet they both could not escape the influence their home had on them alongside the way they were raised. All these aspects interfere and lead to many decisions made by both characters throughout the novel. The set of twins grew up in a small …show more content…

Of course, Desiree knew she was not white, but many were jealous and hateful towards the fact that she could pass for white. Desiree Uprising was against going and marrying a colored man but because of this upbringing, Desiree rebels against this idea. Desiree’s character is developed with the idea that she is not a rule follower and breaks the rules for the sake of breaking them. Marrying Sam in some sense was a way of rebelling, a way she could try to get further from her hometown. Desiree’s uprising led to making this life-altering decision, even if it did not mean it was subliminally due to the morals her mother imbedded in her and Desiree’s will to break them. After Desiree leaves Sam for the better, she retreats to her home, which of course, she could never leave in her past, no matter how hard she tried to pull away or how far she moved. Desiree chooses to leave home due to her upbringing, and Stella does the same. The difference in their choices is apparent when Desiree doesn't mind standing out, while Stella’s biggest fear is “Why couldn't she just be like the rest of the neighbors and keep her

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