Character Clues

Character Analysis

Clothing

Oh, that yellow dress. We first hear about Maud's dress when we see Helen pass by wearing it. It's a slap in the face for the older woman because the beautiful thief who took it from her looks better in it than she ever did. On Helen, the yellow dress is the epitome of beauty and pride, fitting for the woman who wears it. On Helen as a stand-in for the entire island, though, it's a reminder that the islanders really struggle to get by—while white tourists, and historically colonists, do just fine for themselves.

The dress also becomes an outward sign of covetousness as it weaves its way through the story. Helen's desire to own it and the male desire to own the woman inside it translates nicely to a discussion of that other Helen (a.k.a. St. Lucia). Major Plunkett latches onto the image of the yellow dress—its sensuality and promise—to think about the island and the young British soldiers that fought and died for it.

In the end, the yellow dress is donned by Achille, who uses it in his Boxing Day ritual dance. Or, put differently: The yellow dress becomes immersed in island culture fully.

Social Status

It's clear from Statics's stump speeches that the poor people of St. Lucia have little voice in the politics of the island, and that what happens to their land and way of life is out of their hands. Helen's adventures in employment also give us a glimpse into the desperate condition that many young, black St. Lucians face. The exploitation of the island, it seems, doesn't stop at the consumption of its natural resources.

Major Plunkett and his wife Maud are on the other side of the socioeconomic scale on the island. But Major Plunkett is in an awkward position there. They are technically members of the ruling class because they are British citizens, but Plunkett doesn't cherish that position.

For one thing, he doesn't have fond memories of the social stratification of his homeland. For another, he hates being thought of as nothing but a "patron" on the island, separated from his neighbors by wealth and race. Part of his healing comes when he figures out how to be more natural and neighborly with the people of St. Lucia.

Sex and Love

Many characters in this poem, including the narrator, are defined by their love relationships. Ooh la la—we know. The Achille-Helen-Hector triangle powers the storyline in St. Lucia, especially since the conflict over Helen bleeds into a complicated discussion about the characters' love for their island. Achille's broken heart pushes him to question his identity and way of life, sending him on his spirit-journey to Africa. We could say that the revelation of his name and affirmation of his ways—a.k.a. self-love—really make Achille the man he is by the end of the work

Hector doesn't have such a good time of it. His relationship with Helen pulls him away from the life he was meant to live and forces him into an awkward position with his BFF. It means utter destruction for him and a place in hell until he can forgive himself and move on. Interestingly, again we see self-love as the key to personal redemption.

The narrator's own journeys over the earth and into the afterlife hold one big revelation for him: He's been a self-absorbed twit. In his devotion to craft, he realizes that he hasn't been the best person in the world to love—and that he's given only lukewarm affection in return. Letting go of his wrong love and embracing the enduring love of his own people is a big part of his healing. In this, we see Hector's and Achille's processes in reverse: The narrator has to let go of some of his self-love in order to really come into his own.