In "Green Cane and Juicy Flotsam" each story is very unique but insightful. They all have messages that should be applied to your life. From the stories we have read so far, I've gathered that family is very important to the Caribbean culture. Whether they are overbearing and protective, or insightful and nurturing they all have presence of a mother. The other blatant importance in these stories has been tradition. Tradition is highly sought after in the Caribbean. Both stories we are looking at today have these similarities, but they also have unique characteristics that made their stories stand out. The story Little Cog-Burt was about a mother empty nest and yearning to fulfill her needs. The story begins with a mother and father in the Christmas holidays. They are reliving their Christmas traditions from England, where they make a doll to top the tree. Each year she cuts her hair to make the hair of the doll. We come to find out she is disgusted by this. Before, this brought her joy because her kids loved to see this doll. Now, she only does this in hopes to remember her children. Moira is a very bitter unhappy women, nothing seems to please her. In hopes to please her and the carry out the tradition of giving parties for "their laborers children"(Allfey, 6) they throw a Christmas party. Moira turns her nose up at the thought of this and the thought of what this would do to her children who are stuck at boarding school. As the party happens, she does realize these kids don't have this type of experience. I believe this made her pleased, leading to her being generous with the doll which was atop the tree. The doll represented her kids and England, so when Cog-Burt saw and admired this art work she was just pleased someone noticed it. Moira was very bitter with giving something with so much sentimental meaning to a "brown" child, but she did oblige. Moira may have been a bitter woman but when it came to someone recognizing what she cared about, she softened up.
Cotton Candy was ultimately about a women's journey for self discovery after her mother caudles her growing up. Lola is a modest woman who is constantly trying to adjust to life as an individual, struggling since a child with longing for someone to share her life with. Lola knits for a living and sells her masterpieces to the people of her town. The customers become her only real friends. Lola is obsessed with childhood fantasies, and sees them everywhere. This short story shows that her obsession with childhood fantasies turn into realities of life. For instance she loves and believes butterflies to represent love ,and that they transform into something beautiful. However, with that transformation is a great cost. It does not necessarily make you desirable and like butterflies it is gone to soon. Lola also admires the butterflies so much because they do live their life to the absolute fullest, while she has to redirect her ambitions due to her mothers strictness. Her mother caged the beautiful butterfly and did not let it blossom. Which made Lola put her reputation out there to get what she believed she needed in her life. This transformation from caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly was the essence of her sexuality. These stories may seem very different to you now but they both show the power of mothers. They are written in almost opposite views. One has the kids taken away from Moira and the other has the mother taken away from Lola. However, these stories show the lasting effects of mother and children bonds. Powerful when together but detrimentally apart. They each relied on each other for everything. In Lola's case her mother was very overbearing but she could not escape the reality and damage her mother did to her. This destroyed Lola's ability to blossom on her own. In Moira's case, she took her bitterness out on everyone who had what she wanted. She could not live with the thought of knowing her kids could not be there for the holidays. So, very much like Lola they were willing to throw away anything to get what they truly desired. Moira gave Cog-Burt the doll she idolized, and Lola threw herself at any man that spoke to her.
Sources:
Green Cane and Juicy Flotsam
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