Jodell
asked
Mark Matthews:
was Milk-Blood written like a fantasy just so we could swallow it? I don't understand what happened in the end to Lilly?
Mark Matthews
Thanks for writing! Milk-Blood was written in a sort of 'meta-fictional' way, where the narrator and author of the story, who, as you know, interjects here and there, becomes a character at the end and learns how he was inspired to write the story in the first place, and realizes it is not fiction at all. (minor spoiler, I suppose). That said, in my work as a social worker, so much of the poverty and urban despair and addiction from the story is true.
As for the end, I see Lilly as going through a metamorphosis into something new, not necessarily a death, but sort of an explosion of her insides out into something more powerful, and perhaps more terrifying.
At the beginning of the sequel, All Smoke Rises, her burned carcass is found, but she is still inside, still conscious, and it is only when she receives a shot of heroin that she feels any relieve and comes to live. Jervis makes sure she gets what she needs, until someone rescues her. (this all sounds a bit disturbing, doesn't it?.... it actually ends with quite more 'hope' than Milk-Blood does)
As for the end, I see Lilly as going through a metamorphosis into something new, not necessarily a death, but sort of an explosion of her insides out into something more powerful, and perhaps more terrifying.
At the beginning of the sequel, All Smoke Rises, her burned carcass is found, but she is still inside, still conscious, and it is only when she receives a shot of heroin that she feels any relieve and comes to live. Jervis makes sure she gets what she needs, until someone rescues her. (this all sounds a bit disturbing, doesn't it?.... it actually ends with quite more 'hope' than Milk-Blood does)
More Answered Questions
Ali
asked
Mark Matthews:
Hi, I hope you are doing well. I'm somewhat new to reading novels and really enjoyed 'Lizard' in 'Lullabies for Suffering'. So far it is my favorite in that anthology. I will check out 'Garden of Fiends' after this one. So glad I found this because it introduced me to a lot of interesting novels that I look forward to reading. Just realized this is for questions so here is mine: Who did Liz choose in the end? Cheers.
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