Lucy

While reading Lucy, I noticed that the main character has quite a few flashbacks.  The stories she tells of her past are significant to her individuality.  The character uses storytelling techniques as a way to show others her past, but also to claim her own history.  According to a website I found from the University of North Texas, storytelling is a common motif in identify formation across the diverse cultures of the Caribbean.  I think that the author of Lucy presents the flashbacks in a fluid way.  The author wrote in a way in which the reader can get a sense of what Lucy is going through and what triggers certain memories.  I think that storytelling helps form Lucy's identity.  It also helps her come to terms with her past by expressing her emotions out loud.