This person is a white woman. A GOOD MORNING AMERICA Book Club Pick! Riverhead Books, 2020. Dr. Brenner. She strikes out on her own, obtains employment far from home. The Vanishing Half is a novel that shows just how human emotion, uncertainty and longing can be captured and put on paper * Candice Carty-Williams * The Vanishing Half does exactly what a great novel is meant to do. Blake Sanders: Stella’s husband. These are just a few of the examples of how characters throughout The Vanishing Half explore identity and transformation, presentation and performance. The Vanishing Half was easily a five-star book for me. And with an undeniable depth, The Vanishing Half is both thought-provoking, inspiring and heart-breaking. Though she has turned her back on her own family, she does return to them in the end and gives up her wedding ring in order to pay for her mother’s care. “The Vanishing Half should mark the induction of Brit Bennett into the small group of likely successors to Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, and Nella Larsen..” —Sara Collins, author of … But within its fairy-tale structure, The Vanishing Half is able to be ambitious with its characters. Hello Select your address Books ... Bennett weaves such a compelling story, while covering some important topics with care. The novel explores the themes of female family bonds and the Black experience in America. Skip to main content.ca. It is her idea that she and Stella should leave Mallard in 1954, when they are sixteen, though when she begins to waver from the plan to go, Stella urges her on. Already a member? It explores powerful themes such as race, class, freedom and family. Plot Summary of The Vanishing Half. Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this The Vanishing Half study guide. After the two first travel to New Orleans and then part from each other, Desiree goes to Washington, D.C., obtaining a job as a fingerprint reader for the FBI. Desiree’s character is a combination of assertiveness and, paradoxically, passivity. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Part I: The Lost Twins (1968) Summary and Analysis, Part II: Maps (1978) Summary and Analysis, Part III: Heartlines (1968) Summary and Analysis, Part IV: The Stage Door (1982) Summary and Analysis, Part V: Pacific Cove (1985/1988) Summary and Analysis, Part VI: Places (1986) Summary and Analysis. Stella's teacher. Unlike Desiree, Stella chooses to pass as white, leaving her … Desiree is the more impulsive, demonstrative, and open of the two. You'll get access to all of the T he Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a 2020 novel about estranged twins Desiree and Stella Vignes and their daughters, … She convinces Stella to run away to New Orleans with her when the girls are 16. Born seven minutes before her sibling, Desiree has always taken the lead. These chapters are comprised of smaller fragmented divisions. Vanishing Half, The: Bennett, Brit: 9780525536291: Books - Amazon.ca. T he Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a 2020 novel about estranged twins Desiree and Stella Vignes and their daughters, Jude and Kennedy. The Vanishing Half Character Analysis. I’m not sure whether the title refers to losing a twin, or losing yourself. The identical twins are so light skinned that they could pass as “White”. The Vanishing Half follows three generations of characters as they journey across the country in search of new identities. … The Vanishing Half is a story about identity. All 79 characters in The Vanishing Half are alphabetically listed along with character descriptions. Mary: Butler: One of Loretta's girlfriends. Kennedy grows up believing she is entirely white. “The Vanishing Half should mark the induction of Brit Bennett into the small group of likely successors to Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, and Nella Larsen..” —Sara Collins, author of … The following summary … The Vanishing Half Summary. Part V: Pacific Cove (1985/1988) - Part VI: Places (1986). Reese. Her behavior is defensive and at least subconsciously calculated to hide her own identity and protect her daughter, but the depiction of Stella's falseness is a brutal one. What is a powerful passage in The Vanishing Half? The characters seem to experience both. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. After Leon's death, Adele withdraws the girls from school so they can help her support the family. I’m not sure whether the title refers to losing a twin, or losing yourself. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample. Desiree Vignes (Winston) Desiree is light skinned, mixed race, and the identical twin of Stella. Desiree is perpetually restless, eager to get out of Mallard as soon as possible. Either way, it’s a truly enchanting and insightful read that all should experience. Mary. At sixteen, they finally seize their chance and run away. She is the daughter of Leon and Adele Vignes, and Stella Vignes' twin sister. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Bennett, Brit. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett. This Study Guide consists of approximately 43 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Vanishing Half. "The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett for me started slow until I got invested in the characters and once that happened, I could not put it down! Brit Bennett's debut novel, The Vanishing Half, is divided into six sections, each of which contain numbered chapters. Four years later, Bennett introduces a new cast of characters, and like her debut, The Vanishing Half examines sisterhood, black identity, and parenthood with compassion and conviction. In June 2020, Deadline reported The Vanishing Half would be adapted into an HBO limited series after the premium cable channel won a "wild auction" with 17 bidders vying for rights to the story. (approx. The novel debuted at number one on The New York Times fiction best-seller list. But within its fairy-tale structure, The Vanishing Half is able to be ambitious with its characters. I also loved the supporting characters and their stories and found myself cheering them on. Later, they are not only separated, but lost to each other, completely out of contact. THE VANISHING HALF #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. Kennedy makes a profession of acting, and ultimately her fans blur the line between performance and reality when they confuse her with her soap opera character. Title: The vanishing half / Brit Bennett. Moreover, it can be argued that the fault ultimately lies in the dysfunctional racial dynamic of America, for that is the context in which Stella makes her choices. I read it torn between competing urges: I wanted to greedily turn the pages, yet I also wanted to savour every word, lingering as long as I could with the delicious feeling of being sunk so deep into the story that every time I set the book aside it felt like … Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Overview. Last Updated on August 26, 2020, by eNotes Editorial. These characters are trying to find their way and their true selves and not without a lot of struggle. Stella is a light-skinned Black woman passing as white, and Desiree is a light-skinned Black woman who chooses to maintain her Black identity. The Vignes twins grew up inseparable in the ’60s in Mallard, Louisiana, a small town reserved for black residents with light skin. As reprehensible as Stella’s hypocrisy is, her actions can be understood as her attempt to attain security, a good home, a wealthy husband, and the best schooling for her child. THE VANISHING HALF Characters - Alphabetical FIRST NAME: LAST NAME: DESCRIPTION: Mrs. Belton: Stella's teacher. But after they run away from home as teenagers, their paths diverge. While the first 50 pages were a bit slow as the reader tries to figure out the lay of the land, thereafter, you simply can’t stop thinking about this book and waiting to dive back into it at every chance you get. As of the week ending February 20, 2021, the novel has spent 38 weeks on the list. When Sam becomes abusive, Desiree takes the initiative to leave him, fleeing with her seven-year-old daughter, Jude, and returning to Mallard, where she moves back in with her mother, Adele. Desiree marries a man with dark skin against her mother’s wishes and eventually returns home with her young daughter. Desiree Vignes (Winston) Desiree is light skinned, mixed race, and the identical twin of Stella. She is the daughter of Leon and Adele Vignes, and Stella Vignes' twin sister. She concocts a plan to escape, encouraging her quieter sister to come with her. Riverhead Books, 2020. Brit Bennett's debut novel, The Vanishing Half, is divided into six sections, each of which contain numbered chapters. Desiree convinces herself that she is the stronger of the two twins, and that Stella will not be able to survive without her. Her husband is Sam Winston, and her daughter is Jude Winston. Adele Vignes is the mother of Desiree and Stella. Characters: Desiree and Stella Vignes, Jude, Reese, Kennedy, Early. If anything can summarize Stella’s character, it is that she makes choices driven by self-interest and which are inevitably open to harsh criticism. Setting: Mallard, Louisiana, The USA. The Vanishing Half content, as well as access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Desiree is a light-skinned Black woman passing as white, leaving her … Vignes! Paradoxically, passivity combination of assertiveness and, paradoxically, passivity Places ( 1986 ) down people the! The Vanishing Half characters - Alphabetical FIRST NAME: description: Mrs. Belton: Stella 's.... Performance at some point in the story, the Vanishing Half character Analysis Jude reese... Maintain her Black identity last NAME: last NAME: last NAME: last NAME: NAME. 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