Themes: Contrasting Characters: Cocoa and George

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Cocoa and George represent the merging of contrasting principles that form the foundation of the novel. They frequently exhibit differing experiences and perspectives. Cocoa is passionate and quick to anger, often allowing her emotions to guide her decisions. She places great importance on her ties to previous generations, prioritizing visits to her hometown, and is so engrossed in her family's history and the islanders' rich culture that she struggles to fully embrace New York. In contrast, George, who grew up in a boys' home under the care of a strict woman focused on living in the present, is detached from his past. He lives in a highly logical world with little space for emotion, depending on maps, charts, clocks, and mathematical formulas. The "heart trouble" he has dealt with since childhood is both a literal and metaphorical ailment.

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