Power and Control

Over the course of the novel, the author uses Irina’s sexual encounters and photography work in order to explore the ways in which one might attempt to reclaim control over her life. Ever since Irina’s high school relationship with her art teacher, she has subliminally been searching for a sense of power and autonomy. She particularly does so by way of her photography and filmmaking. However, over the years, as Irina begins to feel increasingly lost, her work becomes increasingly erratic and violent. In “345 Bus Stop,” for example, as Irina returns to her archive, she recalls “the first time a man ever told me to hit him” (209, Clark’s italics). Although surprised by the man’s request, Irina says, “I hit him, and I hit him, and I hit him, until his lip burst. I hit him until I came” (209). This moment...