Lotus

“There are humans behind the wheels of these vehicles, some hanging out of their windows, pointing a device towards me. They are breathing the air. They are gawking and laughing and shouting clipped words into the dusky evening.”

The diction and imagery give the first scene of the book a science fiction atmosphere, introducing the theme of The Impact of Trauma on Survivors and Their Loved Ones. Confined to a cell for 22 years, Oliver feels like he’s in an alien universe. Conversely, he doesn’t view himself as human—the “humans” are different from him.

“The last twenty-four hours have overthrown everything I thought I knew, shattering the walls I’ve constructed over the years, dismantling each and every misaligned theory I force-fed myself, just so I could cope. Just so I could move forward with my life without him. But part of me knew—part of me fucking knew he was still out there, and I hate myself for not looking hard enough.”

Sydney reveals how Oliver’s abduction has adversely impacted her. The charged, violent diction—words like “dismantling,” “force-fed,” and “hate”—indicate that the loss of Oliver caused her trauma. Sydney’s dilemma reinforces the novel’s interest in how the novel impacts not only survivors, but also those who know and love them.

“I shake my head, overwhelmed and splintering at the seams. It’s too much. It’s all too much. I don’t know how to function in a world so vast, so cluttered and loud. I can’t decipher what’s real, what really existed before Bradford took me beneath the soil and fed me lies. I can’t differentiate between a memory, a dream, and a tall tale.”

Oliver continues to carry the theme of The Impact of Trauma on Survivors and Their Loved Ones. The negative terms—“don’t” and “can’t”—reflect the trouble he has with adjusting to the outside world. Reality eludes him, as he struggles to discern between his memories, dreams, and Bradford’s lies.