Tuesday, September 4, 2018

What's the Deal with the Daisies?

Symbolism can be a tricky thing sometimes.

Today I was asked whether the daisies in my stories represent love and fertility. To which I replied, 'no, childhood innocence'.

And then I googled it to make sure I knew what I was talking about! And learned we were both correct. The Anglo-Saxon symbolism, in a nutshell, is innocence and gentleness. In Norse mythology, they do indeed represent love, sensuality, and fertility.

Given how much the theme of childhood innocence runs in my novels, I think it's safe to say my intended symbolism is far more Anglo-Saxon than Norse. They are one of the flowers many country children pick for their mother's, probably next to dandelions and cornflowers. I didn't google that particular stat, because I'm just going by what my siblings and I gathered for our mother as children (although I'm fairly certain we used to pick her daffodils too)

They are associated almost solely with my female lead. They are the flowers Angela was picking for her mother to atone for fighting with her brother on the day he died, almost before her eyes. He didn't actually pass away until after he was in the ambulance and had been assured his sister was unharmed, but it is a fact Angela never learns and so lives believing she witnessed his death. It is the first step of her loss of innocence.

It was in a field of daisies Angela played in as a four-year-old when she was technically dead. When she met the Christ of my series. A gentle and kind man who played tag with her, let her crown him with a daisy chain, who spoke to her like she mattered -- kind of like how I always thought Mr. Rogers was talking to me as a child watching Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.

Daisies are the flowers Craig gives her while she is still in the hospital recovering from pneumonia. Upon seeing all the flowers others had already sent her, he felt guilty for not thinking of giving her flowers himself. So he asks her what her favorite flower is. And vows to keep in her fresh supply for the rest of her life, in part to make up for his awkwardness at the beginning of their relationship.

And it was again a field of daisies she was in as a new bride when Angela was in a coma after being abducted from in front of what was to be her new home with her husband. When Christ helps Angela come to the decision to return to the mortal realm, she asks him how to get back. He leads her to the edge of her 'reality', where the field of daisies blends into and is swallowed up by the desert of Craig's Dragon Dream. The lonely barren land where the Dragon hunts him and the only solace is the oasis that is Angela. At this point, Angela doesn't understand all this at this point...just knows that the barren desert is where she needs to go to be reunited with her love. So she willingly gives up the innocence of the field of daisies.

Driven home by the breaking of the vase of daises when her father slams the truck to a stop (in the middle of the infamous Simmons Crossroads). Confused by the world she returned to, Angela requests to be taken back to her family's farm to begin her recovery. And her father unthinkingly takes her home via the Crossroads, as it is the quickest route. It is close to the spot where the accident claiming her brother's life took place, as well as the crashing of the van carrying Angela...given that her heart stopped before they had her loaded in the ambulance, she did indeed die in this intersection. So, when her father takes this route - it triggers a violent flashback of the event in Angela. He doesn't notice right away, but when he does, he slams on the brakes and the vase of daisies fall and break.

Unlike my male lead, Craig, who lost his innocence pretty much all at once, Angela loses hers in stages. Some we learn about in The Farmer's Daughter (starting with the cold manner she learns she's adopted, to her brother's death) While other events are not so clear...for example - what happened at her senior prom? Because she definitely gives off mixed messages about it. Was her ex the one tormenting her in her apartment by moving things around? Who was watching her through the windows?

Those things aren't wrapped up neatly by the end of The Farmer's Daughter or even Ring of Fire...although we see more of her movement away from the innocent to the...not so innocent by the end of Ring of Fire. Which is probably why none of the daisies are in pristine condition in the pictures I take for possible book covers...life/nature is hard on innocence...with the exception of the three on the banner picture above.

I don't want to give away too many series secrets, so I'd better wrap this up!

Hopefully, The Farmer's Daughter will be ready for re-release soon. {Keeps fingers crossed}

Much love to all.

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