This fragmentation can be seen as a manifestation of the Lacanian "mirror stage" (Lacan, 1949), where the self is formed through its relationship with the other. Whittal's protagonists are drawn into a hall of mirrors, where their reflections of self are constantly distorted and refracted through their interactions with each other. This process of self-fragmentation serves to underscore the instability and provisionality of human identity, as the protagonists struggle to reconcile their own desires and needs with those of their partner.
Setting: South Africa, primarily Cape Town and surrounding estates; modern mid-20th-century social world of wealthy families and romantic expectations. bitter enchantment yvonne whittal