Cereus Blooms At Night

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses sexual abuse, incest, and family violence.

Although the island of Lantanacamara is never explicitly described as a colony in the text, its depiction, the make-up of its society, and its relationship with its counterpart, the Shivering Northern Wetlands, demonstrate that it is or was once under colonial rule. The Shivering Northern Wetlands, the homeland of the majority of the white residents on the island, is positioned as a place of aspiration and escape. It is where Sarah and Lavinia are presumed to have fled and where Asha eventually finds herself after fleeing the terror of her home life. The Shivering Northern Wetlands are also the site of education and the home of “knowledge,” as Ambrose goes abroad to study there, and it is where Tyler receives his nursing training. It is presented in contrast to Lantanacamara, which is often depicted as traditional and isolated.

Beyond this geographical connection, the presence of whiteness and Christianity also illuminate the lingering effects of the colonial project in Paradise. The Reverend and his family represent order and privilege, whereas the barracks and the poorer neighborhoods are considered disorderly with their residents needing to be “saved,” in various senses of the word.