Themes in The Vanishing Half

 

    

    Identical twins, Desiree and Stella Vignes grew up in a small southern town in Louisiana with a predominantly light skinned, black population. At 16 they left to New Orleans from small Mallard. After Stella lost her job, she “vanished” and started passing as white. And “Desiree married the darkest man she could find,”(Bennett 5). Desiree leaves Sam after putting up with him hitting her for more than three years of their marriage. She moves back to Mallard with her daughter, Jude. Here, Desiree runs into an old friend, Early and they start a romantic relationship, this is until Adele, the twins mother gets diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

    

    During the first part of the book, I thought the whole novel would be about these twins. However, the story progresses and takes quite a turn when we meet Stella and Desiree’s children. Kennedy (Stella’s child) and Jude run into each other one night after Jude goes to UCLA on a track scholarship. Another character is also introduced at this time, Reese, who is transgender and is at this time, trying to make enough money for a surgery. From here on, the majority of the novel ends up being mainly about Stella, Jude, and Reese. 

    The Vanishing Half covers so many important and deeper topics. It talks about the dangers of passing. Stella’s kid, Kennedy, has blond hair and blue eyes. She states that this was her “saving grace.” It also discusses being trans in the late 1900s through Reese (whose story I can’t wait to read more about). Examples of racism are shown throughout the story in many different ways, especially due to the time period being the 50s and 60s for the beginning parts of the book. And lastly abuse which is talked about when Desiree leaves her toxic relationship.

    Thus far, an overarching theme seems to be feeling like you don’t belong. Desiree and Stella when outside of their small hometown both are living lives they don’t feel like they completely belong in. After Desiree and Jude moved back to Mallard, Jude asks why all the light skinned kids at her new school are looking at her and later exclaims how she never felt like she truly fits in anywhere. 

    Brit Bennett has done a wonderful job writing The Vanishing Half. While I am only part way through this novel, it’s a page turner and I will definitely continue to read it. Bennett’s writing is so expressive and describes details which makes this novel so interesting to read. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the book and I do recommend this spectacular read to anyone and everyone.

- Ana Olson