White Smoke

Content Warning: This section includes discussion of addiction, substance use, racism, graphic violence, and mental illness. 

“Don’t you mean colonizers […] since all of these were clearly already owned by somebody before?”

Protagonist Marigold’s comment to her stepfather, Alec, indirectly shows her outspokenness and intelligence. The abandoned houses adjacent to her family’s new home are not territory to be “pioneered” as Alec suggests; instead, Marigold wonders about the families that used to live there and how they came to leave—or be removed. This thought introduces Using the Horror Lens to Explore and Amplify Societal Issues; specifically, it connects to the idea of gentrification. This comment also points to friction between Marigold and her stepfather, which foreshadows future conflict.

“The neighborhood seems pretty walkable. Helpful, considering Mom and Alec made it clear there’s no way in hell I will ever get a car again. They barely let me walk to Tamara’s House alone. That, along with an eight-thirty curfew and mandatory bag inspections…you could almost mistake my situation for house arrest.”

Backstory clues abound in this passage from Marigold’s interior monologue. This main character arrives in Maplewood, with the “ghosts” of her trauma that took place in California, including a drug addiction to prescription painkillers that followed an injury, a strong desire for marijuana, and a mental health struggle. Marigold’s parents not allowing her to drive, establishing an 8:30 pm curfew, and mandatory bag checks all describe how she feels restricted and closely monitored by her parents. Describing this situation as “house arrest” furthers how Marigold feels policed due to her past mistakes. Structurally, the author reveals this exposition slowly through clues and short flashbacks in Marigold’s viewpoint.