Dream Analysis

In the novel Lucy,the main character refers to some of her past dreams. Usually the author of a novel creates a vision of a fairly specific scene or reference in order to make sure the reader follows the logic. Sometimes it is not straightforward, but the author has a purpose for including it. I found this part of the novel to be particularly interesting, because dreams can be analyzed in multiple ways, and there is no specific answer or direct reference which can be considered a takeaway point. This was one of the interesting dreams Lucy shared:

"Lewis was chasing me around the house. I wasn't wearing any clothes. The ground on which I was running was yellow, as if it had been paved with cornmeal. Lewis was chasing me around and around the house, and though he came close he could never catch up with me. Mariah stood at the open windows saying, Catch her, Lewis, catch her. Eventually I fell down a hole, at the bottom of which were some silver and blue snakes" (page 14).

This dream seems to have a bunch of random points all thrown together, as many dreams do. After research about these components, I thought it was interesting how running from something is an instinctive response and is interpreted in dreams as a symbol of anxiety in your life. The need to run from the attacker can represent anger, jealousy, or love. Lucy refers to "and though he came close he could never catch up." The space between the attacker and the runner represents the closeness to the problem, and if they are gaining on you, it shows that the problem will not go away.
The fact that she is naked refers to her vulnerability. She talks about this dream at the beginning of the novel, when she first arrives. She still feels out of her comfort zone and vulnerable to the family, especially Mariah and Lewis.
Mariah stands at the open windows, as if she is blocking Lucy's only escape out, and acts as the only thing preventing Lucy from leaving this situation.
Typically the color yellow is symbolic of happiness, energy, and intellect. However, when the dream has a negative connotation, as this dream seems to have, yellow is representative of cowardice, sickness, and fear. This directly relates to the fear of not being able to escape the problem due to Mariah.
At the end, Lucy falls down a hole. Research says that falling typically represents the overcoming of problems.
Snakes within dreams are said to represent a yearning for sexual fulfillment. This goes back to Lewis chasing her, and reveals that Lucy has an intimate want for Lewis.
Silver is known to represent justice, purity, and protection. Blue represents truth. clarity, and openness. After the fall, Lucy feels that the problems between herself and Lewis have been solved, and symbols of intimacy appear in her dreams.

Dreams can never be figured out and analyzed 100% accurately. This may or may not have been what Lucy's dream actually represented. This is why I found the addition of dreams interesting in this novel. Unless you already know a lot about dream analysis or care to research, the deeper possible meaning of this paragraph isn't discovered.