Longing for October: Flora, Fauna, and the Concept of Home Anonymous College

Zoë Wicomb aptly writes in her essay titled, Setting, intertextuality and the resurrection of the postcolonial author: “… setting becomes absorbed into character” (Wicomb, 2006). This statement runs true for the two protagonists of her novel, October – each having profound and complex connections with their natural landscapes. Despite Mercia’s emigration, she continues to look to the flora around her to form ideas and attachments about a sense of home, either real or imagined. On the other hand, Sylvie’s upbringing and relationship with various animals lays the foundation for her processing of trauma and memory. Expanding on the abovementioned ideas, this essay will compare and contrast Mercia and Sylvie’s different perspectives on flora and fauna. Furthermore, I will analyse how these points of view impact and inform their respective ideas about place and how it is made meaningful by notions of home and belonging. Lastly, this essay will consider whether their perceptions change throughout the novel and how this might affect their ideas about space. I will be providing a close reading of certain passages from the novel as well as referencing various articles and essays to support my argument. First, I will begin by examining...