“Beloved racial characteristic. Her only sign, except for dark spaces here and there where melanin touched her. Yes, Bertha was closer to the mark. Captive. Ragout. Mixture. Confused. Jamaican. Caliban. Carib. Cannibal. Cimarron. All Bertha. All Clare.”
In the statement, Clare identifies with the character Bertha from Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre due to the parallels they both possess. She recognizes her curly hair as the characteristic that identifies her as black apart from her mixed skin tone which could otherwise pass as white. Molded by her father, who embraces more of his British heritage, Clare previously identified with the character Jane Eyre. But as she comes to herself through her own self-discovery she finds more commonalities with Bertha thus begins embracing her mixed Jamaican identity.
“Their alikeness was something they needed, which could be important, even vital, to them - for the shades of their skin, places traveled to and from, events experienced, things understood ... acts of violence committed, books read ... ones they loved, living family, varied widely, came between them.”
The assertion alludes to the diversity of people within the guerrilla group that Clare joins to fight the greater and noble cause for the oppressed Jamaicans. Akin to Clare, most have embraced different cultures and identities throughout their lives, but the cause is what connects all of them. Some have darker complexions and others such as Clare have lighter skin complexions, these differences are roots of potential conflicts. But the greater cause of the revolution unites them all as they fight for the same reason, setting aside their other differences in the alliance.
“NO TELEPHONE TO HEAVEN. No voice to God. A waste to try. Cut off. No way of reaching out or up. Maybe only one way. Not God's way. No matter if him is Jesus or him is Jah. Him not gwan like dis one lickle bit. NO TELEPHONE TO HEAVEN.”
The narrative handles the tragic history of Jamaica from different outlooks, giving a perspective that shows the extent of the oppression. In the quote, the narrator expresses the sentiment of the story, in how the devastation and decline of Jamaica at this point is a testament to the lack of divine intervention. Hence the people have to find a way to fight for themselves and revolt against the oppressor for change to occur. Furthermore, the usage of distinct dialects in the statement shows the mixed identities of the protagonist. In that, she possesses both her English side as much as her Jamaican heritage.
