The Paradise Problem

Art and beauty are common motifs in literature; visual imagery often reflects or contrasts with specific emotions, becoming a form of indirect characterization. On Pulau Jingga, for example, the characters are surrounded by the beauty of the natural world, and their responses to this setting immediately reveal their values. For Anna, the island is a parade of colors and textures that she instantly wants to paint, and she imagines the different shades of pigment that she would use. Liam also finds greater beauty in the island than in his family’s extravagant parties, and he reflects that Anna is right when she says that “some beers and beach chairs would be preferable to this [lavish luxury] every time” (200). By contrast, Ray sees the island as a tool for showing off his wealth, if he even notices the setting at all. For the Westons, the island is something that must be augmented, and they cannot fully appreciate it until they add all the trappings of luxury.

Anna’s paintings and sketches develop this motif as well, symbolizing her close attention to things that might otherwise go unnoticed. She painstakingly paints flowers, which she calls “nature’s real masterpiece” (11), and her adoration for the natural world illustrates her humility and her humanity.