The Poppy Fields

Poppies are a symbol that shapes the novel’s central thematic structure and gives it its title. Ellis clarifies the symbolism behind poppies in an interview she gives to the media when her center opens. The interviewer mistakenly thinks that Ellis has chosen “Poppy Fields” as the name for her treatment center because of their association with narcotics. Ellis quickly corrects them, explaining that for her, poppies have a different association entirely. She points out that poppies grow in even the poorest of soil, are tough, and can be found on several continents. They were, she notes, the first flowers to grow on the barren battlefields of World War I after the conflict ended. As such, they represent resilience and the enduring nature of the human spirit. Her sleep treatment acknowledges The Individual Nature of Grief and Healing, as it helps sleepers move beyond their grief.

For Ellis, poppies are a symbol of the human ability to process difficult experiences and arrive stronger on the other side of trauma. Although some criticize Ellis’s treatment as a way to sidestep grief, she does not see it that way. Ultimately, her views align with those of