Gloria Naylor's Mama Day

The novel Mama Day by Gloria Naylor explores both the intriguing relationship between a young city boy and a culturally confused girl, George and Ophelia, and the simple yet supernatural life of an old, wise woman on an isolated island entirely detached from the civilized world around her. Ophelia, or Cocoa, becomes a link between the chaotic world and hustle and bustle of the mainland and the life of Willow Springs that connects her into a cultural and much different identity. The setting of a novel and the distinct portrayal of the time, place, and environment of what is occurring are often essential to the understanding of the true essence of a novel. In this case, the element of the setting is most important to the novel as a whole, establishing the
There is something about Willow Springs that Mama Day knows continues to bring Cocoa back to- "Home. You can move away from it, but you never leave it. Not as long as it holds something to be missed." (p. 50) The setting created of Willow Springs is also unique because not only is the duration of the book a flashback from the present, but it seems as if the book could easily take place in a time period much earlier because of the simple and traditional way of the people. The island had not seemed to change that significantly since over a century before when the place was founded. The days of 1823 were long gone, however, the culture of the time still left a historical spirit on Willow Springs and its people. Emphasis is also placed on the lack of a need for time. Life exists more around the lives of the people and the changing of the seasons, rather than living by the clock as the people "beyond the bridge" are said to. "Living in a place like Willow Springs, it's sorta easy to forget about time. Guess 'cause the biggest thing it does is to bring about change and nothing much changes here but the seasons." (p. 160) the setting is most important for understanding the true tranquility and