Why Brit Bennett Wrote "The Vanishing Half"
In "The Vanishing Half," Bennett explores the importance of family, the power of secrets, and the search for identity. The story is set in the fictional town of Mallard, Louisiana, which is based on the real-life town of Eunice, Louisiana.
The town is home to the Vignes sisters, Desiree and Stella. Stella has always been the rebellious one, while Desiree has always been the good girl. When they were teenagers, the girls ran away from home and ended up in New Orleans. Stella ended up working as a maid in a hotel, while Desiree became a prostitute. One day, Stella came to visit Desiree and convinced her to run away with her.
They ended up in California, where they both got married and had children. However, their lives took different paths and they eventually lost touch with each other. The ending of the novel is both surprising and inevitable, based on what has come before. The ending is open-ended, raising questions about the characters futures that can only be answered by the readers imagination.
The Importance of Family
The Vanishing Half is a novel about the importance of family, the power of secrets, and the search for identity. The story is set in the fictional town of Mallard, Louisiana, which is based on the real-life town of Eunice, Louisiana. The town is home to the Vignes sisters, Desiree and Stella. Stella has always been the rebellious one, while Desiree has always been the good girl. When they were teenagers, the girls ran away from home and ended up in New Orleans. Stella ended up working as a maid in a hotel, while Desiree became a prostitute. One day, Stella came to visit Desiree and convinced her to run away with her. They ended up in California, where they both got married and had children. However, their lives took different paths and they eventually lost touch with each other.
The relationship between the two sisters is at the heart of the novel, and explores the importance of family. The girls ran away from home because they felt that they didnt belong there - their parents didnt understand them and they didnt fit in with the rest of the community. This feeling of not belonging is something that many people can relate to. When we dont feel like we fit in with our families or communities, it can be difficult to find our place in the world.
The sisters relationship is also a reminder that family is not just about blood relations. Family is about who we choose to include in our lives - those who make us feel loved and accepted for who we are. And even though Stella and Desiree eventually lost touch with each other, their bond as sisters was never broken.
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📚Book Review📚 The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett * I’m so glad I finally read ‘The Vanishing Half’! This book addresses racism and dysfunctional family dynamics as we follow the story of Dolores and Stella Vignes. Secrets hang in the air as we follow their lives throughout the decades. It gets even more intense when we follow their daughters’ lives. If you love Historical Fiction that addresses social issues and family bonds, pick up ‘The Vanishing Half’! * Book Information: The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, its not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, its everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters storylines intersect? Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a persons decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins. As with her New York Times-bestselling debut The Mothers, Brit Bennett offers an engrossing page-turner about family and relationships that is immersive and provocative, compassionate and wise.
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The Power of Secrets
In "The Vanishing Half", the power of secrets is used to explore the theme of identity. The secrets that the characters keep have a direct impact on the course of their lives. The secrets that are revealed also have a significant impact on the characters relationships.
The novel begins with the story of Desiree and Stella Vignes, identical twin sisters who run away from their small town in Louisiana. They end up in New Orleans, where Stella becomes a maid in a hotel and Desiree becomes a prostitute. After a while, Stella convinces Desiree to run away with her to California. They both get married and have children, but their lives take different paths and they eventually lose touch with each other.
The secrets that the sisters keep from each other are eventually revealed, and these revelations have a significant impact on their relationship. The first secret is revealed when Desirees husband finds out about her pregnancy and tells Stella about it. The second secret is revealed when Stellas husband finds out about her HIV status and tells Desiree about it. These revelations cause the sisters to re-evaluate their relationship with each other and their place in each others lives
The Search for Identity
The search for identity is a common human experience. It is often said that we spend our lives searching for ourselves. Many people never find out who they are or what they want in life. However, the search for identity can be a rewarding and enriching experience. It can lead to a greater understanding of oneself and the world around us.
There are many factors that contribute to our sense of identity. Our family, friends, and community all play a role in shaping who we are. Our experiences, both good and bad, also play a role in our sense of self. As we grow and change, our sense of identity also changes.
For some people, the search for identity is a lifelong journey. They may try on different roles and experiment with different lifestyles before finding the one that fits them best. Others may have a clear sense of who they are from a young age. However, even these people may go through periods of doubt and uncertainty about their place in the world.
No matter where you are on your journey, the important thing is to stay true to yourself. Be honest about what you want and don’t be afraid to take risks. The search for identity can be difficult, but it is also an exciting adventure.
The Meaning of Home
Home is both a physical place and a state of mind. Its where the characters feel most comfortable and safe, but its also where their secrets are hidden. For some characters, home is a place they long for and can never return to.
For Desiree, home is Louisiana. Its the place she ran away from, but its also the place she longs to return to. She remembers the feeling of safety and comfort she felt there as a child, and she wants her own children to experience that same feeling. However, she knows that she can never go back because of the secrets shes keeping from her family.
For Stella, home is California. Its the place she ran away to with her sister, and its the place shes made a life for herself. She has a good job, a husband, and children. However, she feels like shes living a lie because shes hiding her HIV diagnosis from her family. She knows that if they found out, they would judge her and think less of her.
Ultimately, home is whatever we make of it. It can be a physical place or it can be a state of mind. It can be a place we long for or it can be a place we never want to leave. Home is whatever we need it to be in order to feel safe and comfortable.
The Significance of the Ending
The ending of The Vanishing Half is both surprising and inevitable, based on what has come before. The sisters have been living separate lives for years, and their relationship has been strained by the secrets they have kept from each other. The revelations at the end of the novel cause them to re-evaluate their relationship with each other and their place in each others lives.
The ending is also open-ended, raising questions about the characters futures that can only be answered by the readers imagination. The novel ends with Desiree and Stella meeting each other for the first time in years, and it is up to the reader to decide what happens next.
The ending leaves the reader with a sense of hope, despite the tragedy that has unfolded. The sisters have finally been reunited, and they have a chance to start fresh. They can build a new life for themselves, based on honesty and communication.
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