Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Brief History of Seven Killings, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Violence vs. Peace
Masculinity, Sexuality, and Homophobia
Jamaican Culture and Identity
Politics, Power, and Corruption
Witness and Storytelling
Summary
Analysis
Millicent Segree is picking up prescriptions, including Xanax for her anxiety and Prozac for her depression. She is at a Rite Aid in the Bronx. These days she works at Beth Israel hospital, training to be a nurse. Two weeks ago, several Jamaicans arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds. Millicent made sure to hide her own Jamaican accent. One of the wounded men explained Benjy Wales was killed and “is armagideon now.” At this point Millicent blacked out and had to leave, telling her colleagues she had a migraine.
Although there are not yet any clues linking her to Nina/Kim/Dorcas, by this point it is safe to assume that Millicent is Nina’s new identity. This impression is strengthened by Millicent’s desperation to hide her own Jamaican identity and her dramatic reaction to any news relating to Josey Wales.
Themes
Millicent’s motto for herself is “NO MORE DRAMA.” She has been suffering from anxiety attacks with increasing frequency. She insists that she doesn’t miss her father, who as far as she knows could be alive or dead. She also claims she doesn’t miss Jamaica. Last week a young white man heard her accent and asked if she ever met the Singer, and Millicent is shocked by the realization that the answer is yes.
Nina/Millicent has never been able to take pleasure in the fact that not only did she meet the Singer, she had sex with him––making her the envy of an unimaginable number of women. Instead, what could have been a pleasing memory in Millicent’s life ended up being fraught and distressing.
Themes
