Analysis Of Linda Hammerick In Monique Truong's Bitter In The Mouth

Childhood experiences are a primary factor in determining future behaviors, perspectives, and mannerisms. The nature of childhood is attributed as a time of discovery and, moreover, revelation in support of one’s development and preparation for the future that awaits them. Such attributions are shared with the experiences of Linda Hammerick, the protagonist of Monique Truong’s Bitter in the Mouth. Amongst her return to Boiling Springs, North Carolina, the correlated nostalgia brings forth an uprising of memories, revelations, and confessions. Her most prominent attribute is her condition of synesthesia. As the novel’s motif, it directs the thoughts that arise amongst these discoveries thus defining the nature of the story. Bitter in the Mouth offers insight on how the …show more content…
Linda’s synesthesia offers her a new perspective on her life and in that sense, she re-experiences childhood. Bitter in the Mouth, as an autobiography, gives the reader a first-person perspective on a possibly foreign outlook on the meaning of life. In Linda’s mind, families, like canned beets, will always reflect on your own life; relationships simply fill a void left by your family. Universally, she learns that familiarity is meaningless without the clarity of connection. Her extraordinary condition of synesthesia gives her a unique perspective on her senses, thus leading to a unique perspective on her reality and a distinctive perspective on these discoveries. Therefore, similar to the way people attempt to guide childhood discoveries in preparation for the future, the reader can attribute Linda’s distinctive behaviors as a testament to her identity and, moreover, the direction that those discoveries would lead her. If one can take the time to step back and re-discover their body like a child, they can gain clarity on how their body is positioned in the world and, moreover, how it shapes meaning in their