Callisto's Use Of Light Borrowed Light

817 Words2 Pages

Callisto’s system of stars and moons leads her to believe that some people have light while others have to ‘borrow’ it. This concept of borrowed light is a main driving factor of the novel Borrowed Light as Callisto’s belief that she needs to be around bright people and make them happy leads to her pregnancy. Her need to borrow light is shown in her relationships and how she feel about herself and her identity and these themes in Borrowed Light reveal this.
Relationships throughout the novel show one person borrowing light from the other and how that shapes their relationship. Believing that she is lacking light and has to borrow it to be noticed is shown through Callisto’s relationship with other people. “...if you’re a moon like me, you won’t …show more content…

Callisto also uses her stars and moons system to form and develop her relationships. She believes that, as a moon, she should be around stars so she can borrow their light while simultaneously caring for them and letting them use her. Her system suggests that stars need someone who is in the background and can be used when they need so they have freedom to shine and moons can fufill this role. Callisto actively seeks out relationships with people whom she considers to be ‘stars’ so she can have more moments of light in her life. She also allows people in her relationships to use her in ways she isn’t entirely comfortable with because her system clouds her view of what she should have and be feeling in a relationship. She wanted to please other people more than she wanted to please herself because she felt that ‘stars’ deserved more than she did and making a star happy would make her happy. “Somehow, Tim removed my dress and I helped, of course, because I’m always obliging and consider others first. (You do that to excess if you’re a borrower)” …show more content…

Callisto identifies as a ‘moon’; someone who can’t provide their own light, which creates her need to be around ‘brighter’ people. She doesn’t believe she can provide light on her own and the belief that she isn’t noticeable or interesting enough to be a star gives her a distinct lack of self-worth. Some of the few times she is happy and producing her own light are when she is talking or listening to things about astronomy. “...‘Jupiter’s gravity is so powerful that it keeps them from escaping.’ Whenever I think about that power, I get a thrill of excitement. It seems magical...” Despite this, Callisto fails to see her own provision of light, blinded by her system, but after her experiences throughout the novel she starts to develop and learn new things and she discovers more of what makes her happy and bright. She realised that she can provide her own light in her own ways and she chooses to be with someone who isn’t like the other ‘stars’ she was used to. Richard solidifies her in her identity “But I like you blurred” and makes her happy and allows her to shine in her own

Open Document