This chapter is all about hope, hope for Terry’s mother and hope for seeing ‘accidentals’, or birds that wouldn’t normally be where they are. For example, an American Flamingo in Utah! The possibility of seeing something wonderful somewhere unexpected is a reason for hope. This was linked to Diane’s letter which was meant to provide hope for Tammy, a young cancer patient.
This wasn’t exactly what stood out to me though. My first thought was why the chapter was called Pink Flamingos instead of American Flamingos. Flamingos aren’t pink naturally, they get their color from eating shrimp. This made me think of the effect of outside forces on an individual and how they can change the fabric of who we are. This theme surfaces in many of the chapters of Refuge but especially in the Epilogue. Cancer has a huge effect on the people who have it, it wildly alters someone’s life. Plus, it also affects the loved ones of the person who has cancer. The cancer itself alters everything and to some degree the information around it does too. It carries huge emotional effects that can greatly alter someone.
Leave a Reply