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 Johnny and Ray: She views the treatment as just one therapeutic tool among many. For some people, it is possible to navigate the various stages of grief without assistance. Others benefit from talk therapy, medication, or other traditional components of psychological care, but her treatment is an alternative for individuals who fail to make progress using those methods. She does not see her sleepers as weak but as strong and emotionally mature, knowing what they need to do in order to heal. The novel details several “successful” cases, including Johnny, arguing that grief and healing are complex but are ultimately possible using one method or another.

Although Ellis is steadfast in her interpretation of the poppies as hopeful and resilient, Erlick’s use of this particular flower as the central symbol of the novel, including it even in the title, necessarily introduces poppies’ other common connotation, noted by the journalist who refers to its narcotic associations. Although Ellis immediately dismisses this interpretation and the novel doesn’t overtly attach much significance to the exchange, Erlick’s choice of the poppy raises inferences of opium and drugged sleep that connect directly to the sleep treatment’s premise. The choice to use this particular flower introduces a fundamental tension to the narrative that complicates its exploration of the ethics around the sleep treatment while also informing Ellis’s character arc.