The Yield: A Novel

“The story goes that the church brought time to us, and the church, if you let it, will take it away. I’m writing about the other time, though, deep time. This is a big, big story. The big stuff goes forever, time ropes and loops and is never straight, that’s the real story of time.”

This quote from Poppy’s dictionary introduction sets the tone not only for his story told through dictionary definitions but also for the differing ontologies at work. Setting up the story in an alternate time frame to traditional Western narratives provides context and also presents the start of a continuing dichotomy between Western and Aboriginal cultures.

“Her memory had been good enough to bury the bad thoughts, although reliable enough that the good were sometimes suppressed too.”

In this quote, it is seen what August has had to sacrifice in order to avoid the grief and baggage that her home holds. By isolating herself, she is able to avoid direct interaction with traumatic memories but loses the positive connection to her past and family too.

“‘The family trees of people like us are just bushes now, aren’t they?’ he said. ‘Someone has been trimming them good.’ I wouldn’t ever forget these words because they sounded like sad poems. And I guess that’s a true thing, because all the years I’ve lived I’ve lost so many parts of the people who make me up.”

Poppy’s interest in other people and their stories shows the community-mindedness that makes up so much of his motivation. It also shows collective experience, a community trauma that continues through memory.