Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Farming of Bones, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Power of Memory
Dreams vs. Reality
Language and Identity
Death, Grief, and Hope
Home, Family, and Belonging
Summary
Analysis
Amabelle remembers being struck by a fever in childhood. Her mother made her a doll, and Amabelle recalls it fondly, noting that it made her “feel nearer to [her] mother.” At the time, Amabelle believed the doll stood up, sang, and played jump rope—the doll comforted her, and told her she would get well. When the fever broke and she asked her mother about the doll, her mother claimed there was “no such doll,” and blamed the image on the fever.
Amabelle’s powerful memory clashes with her faith in her dreams, producing a confusing blend of fantasy and reality. This collision between memory and illusion is an ongoing occurrence in Amabelle’s life, and it is in some ways a way to cope with the grief of her traumatic childhood. Amabelle’s ability to turn a credible story—a handmade doll—into a fantasy of a dancing toy illustrates how willingly she disconnects from reality: she is able and eager to believe in a fairytale, as it provides her with easy comfort.
Themes
