Fork in the Road

I find that Lucy's quest for identity is much like Omishto's. Both struggle between two entirely different settings. I chose to include a picture of a road split because it resembles their choices in their lives. Lucy's stuck between America and her homeland, Antigua, while Omishto's being pulled between modern society and her native heritage.

Mother figures are very important for both stories. It's funny how neither Lucy's mom nor Omishto's are main characters, but their presence remain with the girls forever. Lucy's mom provides a connection to her past in which she desperately tries to escape. Omishto's mother serves as her link into modern society and her potential future. The two also have other key influences in their lives, being Mariah and Ama. Their presence serves as a way for the girls to question their surroundings with what they know and what they don't know. Both girls want what the other has. Lucy looks for new experiences while Omishto searches for her roots to decide what path is best to take. That's where the two are different. Lucy made up her mind in the beginning to travel to a new land and almost forces herself to become a new person. Omishto's approach was far different. She observes rather than taking action. She finds Ama and her own Taiga heritage incredibly interesting and "watches" Ama and looks for reasons behind her actions. The panther's death and the two courts she attends symbolize the choices she has to make in her life.

Both girls are at an age in their lives where decisions they make now will forever effect their futures. Lucy must either make amends with her mother and accept her past or hold her peace and move on. Omishto has the choice to follow her mother or Ama who now has been banished from the tribe. This is a crucial moment for her, since Ama is no longer around, Omishto sees the tribe is at danger of disappearing like the panther.