My Dark Vanessa

Imagery and allusions to nature abound throughout the novel, drawing attention to both the natural and the unnatural forces at play in Vanessa’s relationship with Strane. Vanessa identifies with nature; she is born and bred in Maine, beloved for its dramatic landscape and its rugged weather conditions. Even Vanessa’s home address belies her remote origins; she grows up in a house on Whalesback Lake in the eastern region of the state, and the area is so isolated that it does not have an official name. Vanessa, an only child, grows up with only her imagination and her books to keep her company. Strane is from Montana, a state known for its remoteness and for its beautiful natural landscape. Vanessa’s connection to nature is just one of the qualities that attracts Strane and enables him to cement their emotional connection soon after they meet in his English class.

Strane’s first compliment to Vanessa takes note of her “hunter-green jersey” (27) dress, a color that readers can associate with the season of spring, a time of year that promises growth and symbolizes vitality and innocence. The specific green she wears is hunter-green; this moment gives the reader a glimpse into Vanessa’s confusion around who initiated their relationship; Strane voices his appreciation of the dress, but it is Vanessa who selects the dress in the first place.