Identity

By writing I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness from Claire's first person point of view, the author is able to explore her main character's complex search for identity. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, Claire feels her old self dissipating. Her new role as mother fails to supersede this old self and satisfy Claire's restless spirit. At the novel's start, Claire tries to pinpoint where her story begins. She says, "The story starts at some point in my daughter's first year, the point perhaps at which I became aware of my inability to feel any feelings" (1). This sudden emotional numbness confuses Claire's understanding of herself, and thrusts her into an unexpected unknown. It is not until Claire discovers her vaginal dentata that she realizes she has felt this way "Since my baby was born. No, before. Way before. Since I was clouds pressed against...