"Vocabulary I carried here like a hollow doll spills grammar

• Analysis - "Hollow doll"


  "That child's vocabulary I carried here like a hollow doll, opens and spills a grammar," the narrator reflects on how her childhood identity, shaped by her vocabulary and perspective, influences her adult self. The child's vocabulary represents an innocent, simplistic worldview, now seen as a "hollow doll." This metaphor suggests that her childhood memories may not fully capture reality; they are incomplete, like a doll that is not real and lacking depth.
• Analysis - "Spills a grammar" 


  However, as an adult, she realizes that despite the limitations of these memories, her language, like the "grammar," gives structure to her understanding of her past. This grammar allows her to hold onto her cultural roots and childhood, even though she acknowledges that those memories might be false or oversimplified. Ultimately, she clings to these memories because she cannot return to her homeland, having no "passport" to go back, reinforcing her longing and attachment to the past.