The Antidote

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains references to racism and death.

The Antidote’s ability to “store” the memories that her clients wish to forget makes her services popular. Because she is a “Vault,” people of all ages come to her in order to unburden themselves of painful or uncomfortable memories. Each person speaks of a lightness and an inexplicable sense of relief and happiness when their “deposit” is made to the Antidote. By relieving them of the painful weight of these memories, the Antidote makes a meaningful and valuable contribution to her society, even though her magical gifts alienate her from the community, leading others to view her with suspicion if not outright hostility.

As the novel unfolds, the dangers of losing or relinquishing memories become apparent. Cleo Allfrey, for instance, plays an important role as an outsider. This places her in a position to regard the community objectively, and she concludes that there is an emptiness and a vacancy about the citizens. Her assessment suggests that the positive results that follow immediately from a deposit do not outweigh the long-term damages. Her point of view paints the people of Uz as hollow and unfeeling (not unlike the scarecrow that is an important symbol for the novel) indicating that to be a complete person is to carry both positive and negative memories with you.