After the publication of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the name Ophelia has coincided with the idea of both tragedy and despair throughout, arguably, all media platforms. The acknowledged significance and premise behind the name compels any reader to assume that the protagonist will, like their predecessor, have a life filled with obstacles, turmoil, and strife. Bellocaq’s Ophelia presents a unique and relatable story of a girl in rather unrelatable circumstances and demonstrates ideas of identity and a lack thereof. The consistent themes of objectification, race, and gender are key points that prevail throughout the entity of the narrative.
Starting with the title itself, Ophelia is not her own, she’s Bellocq’s Ophelia. We learn in the early poems that even her name isn’t always hers. It isn’t until she becomes a photographer that she finds herself, but even then continues to struggle with her identity. The Madame of the brothel she works at gives her a new name, furthering her from her true self and identity. Throughout the story, she is confronted with and struggles with her identity and the fact that she’s a mixed-race woman. Through no fault of her own, she feels as though she does not fit into a specific category or group. She feels displaced and is forced to take on the role of things she’s not. She often has to hide her parts of herself to find work. Her true identity always feels just out of reach for her. She can almost never be her true self if she wants to succeed and meet the expectations presented by her peers.
The novella also has heavy themes of stillness. Her father only approves of her when she stands very still, her Madame tells her to be “like a statue” and finally, the closest she comes to being her true self is in front of a camera. I personally find this relatable due to the fact that so often we are told to be still — but stillness is hard to achieve. We are expected to keep moving, and to keep going, and to keep working all the time. Yet, at the same time, we should be still, so as to not disturb others. With these themes, my main takeaway is that if you must survive by being still, then do it. But if you can, move. Embrace your identity even if it doesn’t fit, and be loud if at all possible.