![]() Above all, White Oleander is a young girl’s bildungsroman. The novel broaches the matters of mother-daughter relationships, self-reflection, survival of the fittest, perfection versus imperfection, and the nature of artistry. ![]() The myriad of foster homes within White Oleander contribute fragments of motherhood toward the ragtag collage Astrid is left with in her abandonment. Shipped around the area, to places like West L.A, Tujunga, and Van Nuys, Astrid encounters much hardship, and leaves each foster home with fresh scars, both physical and emotional. Suddenly, Astrid must fend for herself in a savage metropolis. Having committed a crime of passion, Ingrid is locked away and her daughter is left, abandoned. Unfortunately, Ingrid’s love is unrequited, and she seeks a poisonous revenge, resulting in the murder of her past-lover. However, when Ingrid becomes enamored by an unlikely suitor, her calculating behavior disintegrates, like barbed wire turned to Baby’s Breath. A capable, dangerous woman, Ingrid mentors her daughter with droplets of philosophy, explaining, “We are the wands.we strive for beauty and balance, the sensual over the sentimental” (Fitch, 3). Her mother, Ingrid Magnussen, is a poet, fixated with the pursuit of beauty. White Oleander chronicles the journey of Astrid Magnussen through the labyrinthine realm of 1990’s Los Angeles. Staff Intranet (Restricted permissions).Undergraduates (Restricted permissions). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |