The Sea

The sea is representative of transformation and fluidity. Mina connects it with her own gender transitioning through a subtle reference to Aphrodite, who was born from sea foam formed by the severed genitals of Uranus, and also to the innocent, formless state of childhood, as she suggests that she was “raised by the sea” (33). The sea additionally appears as a place of possibility and change. Mina’s life is altered by her experiences in Lesbos with Sumaiya and her family, who first appear to her on a boat that lands on a beach there.

Beaches

Along with the sea, beaches represent a state of fluidity and change, as well as the lines between the past and present, and birth and death. A photo of Mazen and Mina together on a beach in their youth represents a glimpse into their past while also suggesting death and...