Specifically, the biscuits that Mara bakes. But there’s another reoccurring symbol: biscuits. These are really heavy themes, and the weight of them is ever-present throughout the graphic novel. (Image: The Sacrifice of Darkness, Archaia/Boom Studios) We get a glimpse of the story’s real hero in the top right corner panel: biscuits, and their sidekick, jam. Both Love Stories in Roxane Gay’s The Sacrifice of Darkness are Connected By One Powerful Element: Biscuits Seeing this young girl defy her peers to befriend “the son of a sun killer” brings that hope. It’s in the way Claire befriends Joshua-a kid outcasted for no fault of his own. Yet, because we don’t know their ending, there’s a mix of hope and fear for them. However, though Hiram and Mara’s story starts in an age of light, Joshua and Claire’s start in an era of darkness. In fact, the more beautiful their story is, the more it hurts to see it. We know that Hiram’s love for mining turns to hate. And the town takes their anger out on Joshua and Mara, calling them “son” and “wife” of “a sun killer.” When we start seeing how Hiram and Mara fall in love, it’s painful-we know how this ends. All that’s left is an ever-shrinking red scar in the sky and utter darkness. Joshua and Claire’s is just the opposite: a story of hope.Īt the start of the story, Hiram, suffering a depression we don’t quite understand yet, gets into an “air machine” powered by a newly-discovered element and flies it directly into the sun-effectively killing it. Hiram and Mara’s story is one of tragedy waiting to happen. We follow two couples throughout Roxane Gay’s The Sacrifice of Darkness: Hiram Hightower and Mara Blessings in flashbacks, and then their son, Joshua, and his childhood friend Claire in the present.
The Interwoven Love Stories in Roxane Gay’s The Sacrifice of Darkness Reminds Us That There is Beauty in Dark Times
The Sacrifice of Darkness is one of the most brilliant literary experiences so far this century. Rebecca Kirby’s art and James Fenner’s colors already told a story of light and darkness and isolation. And not just because it was a Roxane Gay story. From the moment the original cover debuted, this OGN was obviously going to be something special. For our October indie graphic novel selections, we named Roxane Gay’s The Sacrifice of Darkness, with co-writer Tracy Lynne Oliver, and artists Rebecca Kirby and James Fenner.
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