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Boy Snow Bird Analysis

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Helen Oyeyemi’s novel Boy, Snow, Bird deals with tendentious issues such as abuse, race, beauty, and mother daughter relationships. Many of these issues are blatantly illustrated throughout this story between different characters. Often more than one relationship deals with each of these issues, and most of these relationships deal with more than one issue at a time. That being said, some of the relationships deal with their issues and themes in a much more subtle way than others. One relationship in particular deals with issue very subtly, Charlie and Boy’s. Charlie and Boy grew up together in the same town, and he even asked her to prom, wrote to her, toke her to see fireworks (Oyeyemi 7-9). The two of them formed an unspoken sporadic romance. The relationship between Charlie and Boy acts as a window into the circle of abuse and abandonment, builds a foundation of feigning a position of power, and connects to the theme of beauty.
The circle of abuse and abandonment stands out as one of the prominent themes throughout Boy, Snow, Bird. In fact, many of the relationships throughout this book address this issue both directly or indirectly. Many of the mother daughter relationships throughout this book remain blatant examples; Boy sending Snow away, Frank allowing Boy to think all her life that her mother left her, Frank’s girlfriend leaving Boy alone with the Rat Catcher, even Boy running away, all of these have elements of abandonment and abuse. But Charlie and Boy’s

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