Part 3, Chapters 1–3 Summary and Analysis
Part 3, Chapter 1
Avey dreams that she is in bed with Jay, awakening to the smell of a baby who needs changing. As she struggles to reach the children’s room in her dreams, Avey wakes to an early morning sun streaming into her hotel room. The smell of her own stale flesh and slept-in clothes penetrated her dreams, particularly because she slept with the sliding glass door open; the tropical heat turned her room into a “sweatbox.” Avey peels off the sweaty clothing with prompt plans to shower.
Two hours later, she has eaten breakfast and stands on the beach wearing a linen shirtdress. Avey takes in the glittering blue water and the nearly soundless crashing of the waves. She begins to wander down the beach; her thoughts are so focused on the beauty of her surroundings that she is unaware of the distance she is covering. She eventually stops to examine sea life and finally becomes aware of the heat from the blazing sun. Avey realizes that she has no concept of how far away her hotel is or what time it is. She begins walking back in the direction of her hotel, struggling to manage symptoms of heat exhaustion. She finally spots a building with a sign on the front but isn’t sure she has the strength to cover the distance and find relief.
Part 3, Chapter 2
Upon reaching the building, Avey finds herself in a bar and stumbles in exhaustion to a chair. There is little inside the bar; even the shelves are nearly empty except for a half-dozen bottles of rum. Avey’s throat is so parched that she can barely call out to see if anyone else is inside. A voice finally returns her calls, indicating that the bar is closed. A stoop-shouldered man with one leg shorter than the other makes his way toward Avey and attempts to shoo her away.
Avey begs to be allowed to sit indoors for just a little while, telling the man that she has walked a long distance and needs a temporary break from the sun. After a long consideration of her request, the man begrudgingly allows her to remain inside until he finishes getting dressed. He begins walking away from her but then returns and states in a softer tone that at any other time, she could stay for longer. However, he is preparing to leave for the excursion and needs to close the bar.
Avey recalls the taxi driver’s explanation that during the excursion, everything closes down as people return to Carriacou. She asks the man whether he is from the island, and he asks “where else [he] could be from with the name Joseph.” The man proceeds to trace the history of the most prominent families from Carriacou as Avey listens in amazement; his entire demeanor has transformed while talking about the island. He proudly declares that he has never missed an excursion.
The old man explains that the excursion is a time both to relax and to honor the “Old Parents,” who expect the remembrances of the living once per year. Those who fail to properly honor the Old Parents risk being vexxed. The man begins singing a traditional song, and Avey feels her dizziness returning. He questions Avey’s nationality, asking whether she is from Arada, Cromanti, Yarraba, or Moko. The list continues until Avey finally tells him that she doesn’t know her origins and that she is simply a visitor from New York. The man’s demeanor instantly transforms again. He tells her that he has grandchildren and great-grandchildren who were born in...
(This entire section contains 1150 words.)
Unlock this Study Guide Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
New York and whom he has never seen.
Avey remarks that she can’t recall the last time she walked so far. Furthermore, she discloses that she hasn’t felt herself for a few days and has been having odd dreams. She reveals that she has been experiencing hallucinations of things that can’t possibly exist in reality. The man is captivated and asks her not to leave; he needs to fetch something for her.
Part 3, Chapter 3
The old man returns with a glass of coconut water with rum. He tells Avey that he’s treated her to his “Jack Iron from Carriacou,” which he keeps in reserve for special patrons. Immediately after taking a sip, she feels relief as the liquid meets her parched throat. The drink calms her nerves as the old man continues talking to her.
He explains some of the customs of the dances which are performed during the excursion, stressing that people like Avey who don’t know their nation are not allowed to participate in the Beg Pardon dance or the nations dances. Doing so would risk angering the Old Parents. He begins rattling off some of the various dances, asking whether Avey has heard of any of them. As he begins dancing the Juba, a new thought emerges: Avey must come with him on the excursion.
After trying to dismiss the invitation, Avey finds that she is intrigued by the adventure. She inquires about the boats they would take to travel to Carriacou and is slightly horrified to learn that the rickety boats she saw the day before are the most reliable transportation between islands.
When Avey agrees to postpone her departure from Grenada for a day or two, she realizes that the discomfort in her stomach has suddenly vanished. The old man promises to have her back in Grenada in no more than two days.
Analysis
The disorientation Avey feels in these chapters reflects her difficulty to integrate the early life she shared with her husband with their later years. In her dreams, she once again returns to those earlier and happier years with Jay by her side. She is tender in her movements toward her husband in this dream, rising from the bed in a way that won’t disturb him. This drastically contrasts with the insults Avey leveraged against Jay on that fateful winter evening when she was pregnant with Marion. Even in her dreams, it is their children which separate them; Avey rises from the bed to care for the children who need her, leaving Jay behind. The impetus for the explosive argument which forever altered their marriage was Avey’s frustration over having to sacrifice her own goals in order to accommodate her successive pregnancies. As she begins to recognize the totality of her life’s losses, Avey becomes increasingly disoriented. She wanders down the beach, just as she has been wandering aimlessly through her life since Jay’s death. The questions of the old man at the bar prompt Avey to connect with a history that is larger than her own story. Simply agreeing to experience the excursion provides her with much-needed physical relief, indicating that her physical body is responding to the idea of a spiritual awakening.
