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 says the past is “more like flesh than air.” She then says that Sebastien’s story is unfinished, like a fish without a tail, and that his breath fills her dreams. She then explains how new dreams are a waste, and too much to put in “the tiny space that remains.” Sometimes, however, she wishes to come up with new visions and ways to keep her occupied.
Amabelle discusses the physical tolls of memory: the past weighs on her, and feels as real and tangible as a human being. Sebastien’s legacy, and his past existence—symbolized by his breath—are kept alive through Amabelle’s thoughts and dreams. Though Amabelle loves Sebastien, she admits that this memory of him is burdensome: it dominates her life, and doesn’t allow for a new vision of her future. In this way, memory is revealed to be both a blessing and a curse: it preserves the past, but it can also overshadow the future.
Themes
Amabelle recalls how only nameless men die. She says that to Sebastien, death is a momentous and devastating thing, similar to a hurricane. She then explains that she can sometimes conjure him like a dream: he comes to her room, carrying a knapsack with medicine. Whenever she touches him, however, he disappears in front of her. In her dream, she explains to the empty room that she chose a “living death” after the slaughter, and then says she is coming to see him at his waterfall.
Amabelle’s memory of Sebastien keeps him from becoming nameless and forgotten. She grieves for him deeply, and dreams of him often—nevertheless, even in her dreams he disappears, a symbol of the finality of death. Amabelle finally confronts her grief, realizing that the deaths she witnessed stole away her willingness to live. She is no longer willing to give death so much power over her life, however, and decides to visit Sebastien’s waterfall. This is a sign that she is starting to shake off her sadness and is more willing to move forward.
Themes
