Content Warning: This section includes discussions of colonization and miscarriage.

“The name my family calls me is Morning Girl because I wake up early, always with something on my mind. Mother says it’s because I dream too hard, and that I don’t relax even in sleep. Maybe she’s right—in my dreams I’m always doing things: swimming or searching on the beach for unbroken shells or figuring out a good place to fish.”

This quote introduces Morning Girl’s character through both direct and implied details. Her name itself is emblematic of her nature. The fact that she likes to get up early and cannot relax even in sleep suggests that she is a restless person with a deep-seated curiosity and zest for life. The activities described in her dreams highlight her connection to nature.

“I don’t know how my brother came to see everything so upside down from me. For him, night is day, sleep is awake. It’s as though time is split between us, and we only pass by each other as the sun rises or sets. Usually, for me, that’s enough.”

This quote highlights the fundamental differences between Morning Girl and her brother, Star Boy. Morning Girl’s confusion over her brother’s view of the world reflects their constraining personalities and habits. The metaphor of time being “split between us” conveys the emotional and physical distance between the siblings: it implies they live in parallel but separate worlds, only intersecting briefly at dawn and dusk.

“I would search for the most beautiful blossoms and weave them together into necklaces for Father and Mother. If I hurried I could finish before they rose for the second time, and they would find my gifts waiting at the entrance to our house.”

This passage exemplifies Morning Girl’s deep connection to her family. Her desire to make gifts for her parents conveys the theme of The Significance of Cultural and Familial bonds. By weaving flowers into necklaces, she demonstrates the importance of familial ties within her culture.