Voyage in the Dark

In the first five chapters on Voyage in the Dark there is a strong emphasis on physical appearance and physical sensations.  On page 29 the narrator, Anna, is ruminating about her clothes.  She says, “When I thought about my clothes I was too sad to cry…everything makes you want pretty clothes like hell.” This could be the beginning of a theme of vanity or perhaps the importance of the outward self, especially when contrasted with Anna’s inner self which is usually scared or sad.  There are many detailed physical descriptions that make this novel engage the physical senses and create a different tone from other novels we’ve read.