Fear

Throughout the novel, the author uses Bitter's fearful nature in order to explore the possibility of overcoming one's anxieties. After spending the majority of her childhood in foster care, Bitter clings to Eucalyptus, Miss Virtue, and her artwork for a sense of safety. In Chapter 1, the narrator says that "Sometimes Bitter wished she didn't live so close to the center of the city," because her dormitory overlooks the often violent protests in the Lucille streets below (2). Bitter tries to block out the chaos of Lucille's social justice movement by "filling her ears" with music and focusing on her drawing (3). She tries to let the music and her artwork create "a shield that would protect her" (3). However, when Bitter brings one of her drawings to life, the creature she has created in response to her friend Eddie's injury threatens Bitter's safety. She begins to fear not only...