Ingrid Illustrated

We have all thought about running away (at least I have). Fight or flight is human nature. When we perceive a threat, our bodies naturally trigger a stress response. And often, flight is the more painless option. Although it is not always the best solution, find out more about why we psychologically feel the need to bolt from our problems here: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-to-do-when-you-feel-like-running-away-5207364 . But who is actually brave enough, or cowardly enough to do it? Is running away an act of courage or a sign of weakness? Or is it both? And which way are we running: away from a starting point or towards an end goal? Or, again, both?  In The Vanishing Half , Desiree and Stella both decide to flee Mallard, their oppressive, colorist hometown, in search of new opportunities. For Desiree, her journey begins with an objective rather than a catalyst. She imagines a bigger, more fulfilling life for herself, one she knows she cannot achieve by staying put. But her jour...

Desiree and Sam had a pretty complex relationship in The Vanishing Half . On one hand, he was this charismatic man who made her feel beautiful and was a great father to their daughter. On the other, he beat her until she had to cover up the bruises and even threatened her with a gun. Although she does eventually cut ties with her abusive husband, it takes her almost 14 years to finally leave him. She realizes that she cannot endure this any longer for the safety of her child and herself when he suggests having another child together. Now, there are many things that made Desiree stay. She wanted Jude to have a harmonious family with both parents, for one, but perhaps another reason could have been that the abuse she was experiencing was better than the shame of returning to Mallard empty handed. In other instances, many victims don’t have these kinds of ties to their abusers. So how do abusers manipulate their partners from leaving? What makes it so hard to leave?  I think one of th...

I do not believe in fate (and not just because I’m arguing against it in the debate). In fact, I hate it when people say “everything happens for a reason” because it simply does not. Well, obviously it does happen for a reason, that reason being that we made it happen. Every single thing that happens in our lives, from the people we meet to the accidents we may or may not avoid, comes from the choices we make.  One thing many people who believe in fate often talk about are “soulmates”. But what does this even mean? Happening to fall into the arms of a stranger on the bus and spending the rest of your life with them? If this were to happen, it would only be a result of our own actions. The first choice we would have to make would be taking the bus. We would have to make a decision to take the bus as a form of transportation rather than a car or a bike. No spirit draws us to make certain decisions. We make them because of our own judgment, because we believe they are the most advanta...