The Mobile Home

Daphne's mobile home in Altavista symbolizes the return to the past in attempt for clarity. While Daphne originally revisits the home formerly belonging to her grandparents and mother as a means of escaping her life in San Francisco, her time in the house gradually provides her new perspective on her life. The author uses the home as a means of isolating Daphne outside the overwhelming physical conflicts of her urban life. The home also acts as a haven, a neutral space in which Daphne is free to move in and out of memory, thought, and meditation at will.

Alice

Alice, Daphne's newfound friend in Altavista symbolizes hope, reconciliation with one's suffering, and the possibility for renewal and life beyond the weight of the present moment. Alice's character works to put pressure on, to challenge, Daphne's in a wealth of ways. Through dialogue, shared memory...