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The Language Of Flowers Analysis

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The novel The Language of Flowers, is one written by author Vanessa Diffenbaugh. The novel centers around a young girl named who goes by the name of Victoria Jones. As the reader begins, they are made aware of Victoria’s upbringing and all the difficult challenges she had endured during her time living within the foster care system. Diffenbaugh does an excellent job intertwining both the past and present to help readers understand her turmoil, as well as her joy. The author expresses this through the main character Victoria, who eventually develops a gift for flowers in which she uses to changer not only her life, but others’ lives as well. In fact, flowers are the only way that Victoria feels connected to the world around her because she …show more content…

With that being said, a correlation between the avoidant attachment theory and Victoria can be made. It is evident that Victoria has severe issues when it comes to both trust and intimacy. She does all that she can to prevent herself from becoming too close to someone. She finds herself on many occasions pulling herself away if she feels that a relationship is getting ready to form. Victoria continues to protect herself from being disappointed or hurt in any manner.
Although her parents were not present throughout all the challenges she has encountered, they can be blamed for the avoidant attachment style because “an avoidant attachment style is formed when parents or caregivers are unavailable, preoccupied, or disinterested. Children with unresponsive or dismissive parents feel like they aren’t important and learn that their needs won’t be met” (Martin, 2017). This is exactly what happened, as Victoria’s parents were the cause for her inability to connect with others now. Her childhood has heavily carried over into her present life. Diffenbaugh makes this known as Victoria states that “as a child, I had vomited from closeness: from touch or the threat of touch. Foster parents towering over me, shoving my uncooperative arms into a jacket, teachers ripping hats from my head, their fingers lingering too long on my tangled hair, had forced my stomach into uncontrollable convulsions” (2012, pg. 176). Closeness made her uncomfortable as a young child,

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