Astra By Cedar Bower Sparknotes

Julia Leslie Mrs. Ford ENG4U April 24, 2024 Echoes of Upbringing In Cedar Bowers’ book, Astra, the reader is immersed in Astra’s journey of life through the lens of multiple people who are important at certain points in her life. In the narrative, the debate between nurture and nature is an intricate concept as an individual begins to understand the character of Astra. While genetics are a big part of who she is, it is how she grew up and her experiences that crafted her identity. One’s upbringing shapes who they become in terms of personality traits, emotional intelligence, and relationships, as demonstrated by the character Astra. Astra has an intense personality, which is related to how she was raised without any support system. Astra grew

Astra has this need for affection, so meeting Kimmy gives her the bond she has been craving, which she had never had before. The comparison she mentions to Kimmy’s sister shows the lack of maturity and intense personality, which mirrors the absence of affection and love she is getting at the Celestial. Eventually, after Astra has a child, Hugo, whom she raised as a single mother, he tells his father who was absent from his upbringing, “It was smothering to be loved so fiercely, yet wonderful too” (258). This quote shows the lasting effects that the way she was raised affected her approach to raising her son. Hugo acknowledges the intense love his mother has for him, but because she was so neglected as a child, she wants to give her son the very opposite, which shows the complexity of Astra’s personality. The paradox of Astra's affection and intense personality showcases her nurturing style compared to how neglected she was as a child, which contributes to a deeper understanding of Astra

The lack of this stability as a child combined with her father, who never seemed to care for her, emphasizes the challenges that she faces in making meaningful connections at this growing age. Subsequentially, when Astra is married and begins going to therapy while reflecting on her past, she realizes ‘“I used to invite this sort of thing. I wanted people to take over my thoughts, to meddle, to take care of, but I hate that feeling now. I don’t want it in my marriage”’ (206). This is a crucial step in Astra’s life, as she is for once dealing with everything that she has gone through. This is a major deal for Astra, as she is beginning to understand her boundaries, something she was unable to do in the past. This is affecting her relationship with her husband, as she would not allow people to step over her. By going to therapy, Astra is able to begin to be in control of her life and relationships, a true shift for Astra’s life. This is emphasized later on, and Astra is back at the commune after many years and her father is in hospice care, and she thinks to herself, “He won't be able to love me now in the way I've always hoped he would, and that's all