How to Say Babylon: A Memoir

Birds are a repeating motif that emphasizes the theme of Family Expectations and Dynamics. Birds often appear at times when the Sinclairs are being isolated from society by Howard, and they symbolize the fact that Howard keeps his family in a cage of his own making. He nicknames Safiya after his favorite bird, which symbolizes his hope to keep her controlled like a pet for her whole life.

Eventually, Safiya reclaims the bird imagery for herself; in her poetic descriptions, bird qualities become symbolic of liberation and agency. For example, when Safiya leaves the house following a fight with Howard, she describes herself as “arms tufted wide, talons outstretched, featherweight and freed” (308). In that moment, she finally finds a way out of her situation and takes it, becoming like a bird that has finally been let out of its cage. 

The Woman in White, a nightmarish vision of one possible future version of Safiya, symbolizes what Safiya will become if she does not leave her father’s household: domestic, worn down, and voiceless. Importantly, the woman wears white, which contrasts with the colorful language Safiya uses to describe Jamaica. This indicates that if Safiya does not escape Howard’s home, she will no longer be able to write. This hallucination appears throughout the memoir and often serves to inspire Safiya to find a way out of her dismal situation.

Safiya’s decision to fight against this fate, even though all of the Rasta women around her have accepted this kind of subservient existence, highlights the theme of The Power of Girlhood and Womanhood. Dramatically, Safiya decides that she must kill this hallucination and the parts of her it represents.