The Art of The Escape

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 journey ends right back where she started, a full circle of events, when she escapes the abuse she was enduring from her abusive husband and lands right back in Mallard with her daughter in hand this time. While her initial decision to leave might have been selfish, abandoning her mother and her duties, her choice to return was an act of strength for the new kin she was responsible for. As for Stella, us readers know that she was truly running away to leave Mallard behind. After being molested multiple times by her employer, she knew that taking off was the only way she would be able to avoid her dangerous situation. Although this showed her courage, she quickly made other cowardly decisions, running towards a different lifestyle. In New Orleans, she also escaped her identity. She started passing as white and living a whole new life, leaving Desiree, her culture, and her sincerity in the dust. The Vignes twins make it evident that running away is two-sided, both in reason and direction. 

In “Saving Sourdi”, the complexity of escaping is reinforced. Nea even claims that her and her sister always talked about running away. But similar to Desiree and Stella, they do it in very different ways. Sourdi is running both ways: away from her crummy life and towards a stable one. Even though she is initially hesitant because this means leaving her family behind and her sister without her mentorship, in the end, she is willing to sacrifice for success. Nea runs in pursuit of her sister. Although it is a short run, it is an important one to her character. Valiantly, she is willing to come to her sister’s rescue at any cost, even if it means running towards potential danger. When she suspects that her sister is being abused by her husband, she drops everything to try and go save her. She is motivated by a goal, but though she imagines her efforts are considerate, there is a selfish underlying intent of bringing her sister home for her own peace of mind. Sourdi and Nea both choose flight as opposed to fighting the boundaries they have been confined to. 

In both works, characters are running toward the “American Dream” (read this article including surveys and statistics to see how the “American Dream” differs from person to person: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/10/31/most-think-the-american-dream-is-within-reach-for-them/) and away from oppression. Desiree and Stella flee colorism in their community and Stella searches for a white-picket-fence lifestyle— or rather a huge gated mansion. Sourdi escapes racism in their family restaurant for a more assimilated, “American” family and Nea tries to get away from the burden of the expectations of her immigrant parents without the guidance of her sister. This pursuit of success dictates our lives and our fear of failure rules alongside it. Stella and Sourdi had to sacrifice the most to reach their dream destination, while Desiree and Nea sacrificed very little in comparison to end up right back where they started. There is no room for hesitation. Escaping, much like running away, will never work unless you don’t look back.

Running away is complicated. It can be cowardly, it can be heroic, it can be both. Often, we don’t even know which way we are running. Every characters’ art of escaping is unique and there will never be a single, flawless path to take— only the one that gets you closest to your end goal or furthest from your starting point.