Entrapment and Desire

Throughout the novel, the author thematically explores the connection between entrapment and desire. When Demi attempts to leave the Herschel’s estate to avoid being discovered with a dead body, “the gate is locked [and] there is a high wall all around” (84). Her inability to physically exit the property symbolizes her entrapment in the psychological games of social stratification. She is stuck in the desire to escape homelessness, climb social stratum, and access the privilege wealth provides. The author includes the imagery of both Demi and Lyla standing on the internal side of the gate in this scene to evoke their mutual entrapment. While Lyla already has socioeconomic prowess she is trapped by the need to prove herself to Margo and gain Graham’s sexual attention. Both women could physically leave the estate but stay in order to fulfill their desires.

The fence around...