Throughout the book, we see that there is the subliminal mention of the Brontë sisters, Enid Blyton, Paul Gauguin, and Lucifer. Lucy mentions that instead of being named Lucy, she should have been named after one of the Brontë sisters (Emily, Anne, or Charlotte). These three sisters were also au-pairs. Since Lucy had gone to a British school, the curriculum involved the books written by the English Bronte authors. This demonstrates how they were the only role-models she knew of, as she was not sent to a higher education institution as her brothers were. Thus, she would have liked to be named after one of the Brontë sisters instead to demonstrate both the lack of attachment to her African culture, as well as her longing for her own empowerment. This can also be conveyed through her refusal to become a nurse so that she would not have to follow the orders of "higher powers," such as doctors. Furthermore, she identifies with Lucifer because that is the origin of her name (Lucy). This reflects Lucy's embrace of her promiscuous nature, and her non-religiosity. This decimation of the roles her mother expects from her shows her rebelliousness and her resentment against her mother for not supporting her further empowerment in society.
Lucy entered the United States as an immigrant from the Caribbean. She had to leave her native country to create a different identity for herself. When moving to a different country she felt that she need to transform not only her physical state of being, but also mental. This identity is usually influence by components such as race, class and gender. When Lucy first entered the United States, everything seems categorized with her. She saw the socials classes that were made by the people based on how they look. Immigrants tend be categorized a lot since it's in the roots of their skin. For this reason, Lucy struggled with taking on identity of a Black women once she had arrived in America. Many migrant women experience discrimination not solely because of their race, gender, sexualities, but by the experience they lived in. When entering a new country, you see the structure of the people and the ways you live. The people who are native from the country will see when one doesn't belong based on the differences on how they are living. I believe when you enter a new place it could be a negative habit to compare yourself with the people around you, but yet a lot of people do it. In a way it's a search for validation and acceptance. The problem is many seek themselves by the eyes of others. In St Johns, Antigua Lucy was known to have spent her entire life in mental and physical bondage because of the cultural norms that her society imposed on her gender. Women were looked upon as caregiver for the families and were usually in controlled by the men. This structured her to being respectful among others. This structured her mindset on being a care giver to others as well. When she arrived to America, she settles to be a nanny for a rich white family. When she was in her hometown, she didn't do much comparing since every woman and man lived the same social normality as one another. When she starts working in the U.S she sees that not everyone is lives the same life. In the U.S Lucy feels like no one could relate to her since the way she was raised was different. Everything that she saw when she first entered America seem privileged to her, so she became stubborn that everyone that she encounters has a perfect life.
Lucy struggles to define who she is as a person since she is constantly trying to fit in. Black racial identity becomes problematic because the expectations of being a black woman are purposely imposed to her. She was already expected to be pursued a certain way with the White American women. When arriving to New York she did her best to adopt as a nanny, but in a way, this allowed to slowly lose herself. Although she does bring out positive aspects to it. As a nanny she is allowed to bring a motherly side out of her that her mom gave to her. This was a confusing feeling to Lucy, for her mother did cause a lot of traumas towards her life. Yet she still managed to get positive qualities from her mother and use them during her job. The nurture she remembered that was given to her back home allowed her to naturally be motherly to the kids. This allowed Lucy to gain a positive and comforting trait that can stick with her.
