Community and Tradition

The importance of community, and the pitfalls of navigating one's place in it, is perhaps the overriding focus of Hula. On the one hand, Hakes takes an interest in displaying the immense power, beauty, and endurance that can arise from communal spaces, particularly in resistance to colonialism. The other side of this treatment, though, is to explore the aspects of community and tradition that can bring harm to the individual and create a sense of alienation among those who are considered, for whatever reason, to be outsiders.

Community is a pillar of life in Hilo, HI, and the novel's characters build their lives around the protection of that community. This is in part due to the fierce battle between the Hawaiian people and the economic interests of the United States of America, which seeks to transform the islands into a source of commercial revenue...