The Secret Life of Sunflowers

“Are you in love with Eduard, or with the idea of him, the idea of love? Are you holding on to hope, or are you holding on to misery?”

Though Johanna spends a great deal of time pining for Eduard, her friend Anna sees what Johanna cannot: that Eduard is not truly in love with her and her interest in him is merely infatuation. In time, Johanna grows and matures and comes to understand and recognize true love in her relationship with Theo.

“Sunflowers are adaptable, Violet had told me not long ago. You plant them somewhere, and they’ll figure out how to grow. They’ll come up in the rich loam of rivers as easily as in arid, poor dirt. The worse the soil, the bigger they flower. They’re scrappy as hell.”

Sunflowers are a key symbol of perseverance throughout the novel, and here Violet uses them to motivate Emsley to pursue her dreams, no matter how challenging. Sunflowers come to remind Emsley of both her grandmother and her family’s connection to Johanna Bonger, whose tenacity inspires Emsley.

“But of course, initiating courtship was at the will of me. I was expected to stand there serene and demure. Ladylike. An expression I hated more than pickled eels. Ladylike meant do nothing, say nothing, even feel nothing if possible. To be ladylike required no less than to become the Mona Lisa.”

This quote speaks directly to the theme of Gender Norms and Expectations for Women. Johanna is keenly aware of the ways her personality does not fit these norms but knows that she will be punished for violating them. Emsley, too, must fight against notions about the limitations of women’s abilities.

“‘Gratitude.’ Theo came back to me, putting his arm around my waist this time. ‘Sunflowers mean gratitude to Vincent. He never loses faith.’

I leaned against my husband and imagined an entire vast field of golden petals. Thousands of these flowers, unworried about the world, unafraid of the storms, turned as one in gratitude toward the light, toward the sun.”

Sunflowers symbolize gratitude to Vincent, and here Johanna sees them also as symbols of perseverance; their gratitude, she imagines, frees them from worries of the world and of storms. Though Vincent’s mental illness, and later Theo’s, are obstacles to Johanna’s happiness, she will overcome them by drawing on the resolve she feels here.

“‘You read his last letter. He is happy already. He is painting every day. He found a good friend in Dr. Gachet. I am certain his new works will sell.’

‘I’m just glad he’s optimistic about his prospects again.’ Vincent’s happiness was necessary for Theo’s happiness.”

As Theo speaks of his brother, Johanna is keenly aware of the extent to which Theo focuses on him. All of Theo’s efforts and energies go toward caring for and supporting Vincent. Johanna, then, seeks for Vincent to be mentally well, knowing that otherwise Theo will be unhappy. It is Theo’s deep love for Vincent that later motivates Johanna to carry out Theo’s goal of bringing recognition to Vincent’s work.

“The article fluttered from her hand, landing on the hem of my skirt. I couldn’t bear touching it. Not even with every instinct to shake it off, as all women were trained to instantly defend against anything that touched our garments lest it be a stray spark. We no longer wore the crinoline dresses of my mother’s youth that caused thousands of deaths each year, but plenty of women still died from their dresses catching on fire. All I could do was stare at the tightly printed words and shudder with the premonition that they were no less dangerous than live embers, having the power to burn down my whole life.”

The news article Johanna refers to details Vincent’s death by suicide and includes details regarded as scandalous in their era. Vincent’s death saddens her because it impacts Theo, but she also seems aware that the stigma surrounding mental illness will likely negatively affect the van Gogh family.

“I had been a married woman for over a year. I had a child. But I finally grew up on that platform, in that single moment. I felt fate carve lines around my eyes with a merciless hand.”

Here, Johanna travels back to Paris to be with Theo after Vincent’s death. She speaks of how she has changed since her marriage and decides to be a source of strength for her husband. Indeed, her resolve will persist from this point on in their marriage, especially as Theo sinks into mental decline.

“‘He died Tuesday.’ Theo’s voice was a broken whisper. ‘Not long after midnight. He told me I wanted it to end like this.’

I swallowed a sob. ‘He wanted you by his side at the end. And you were there, The two of you together, always.’ But oh, how I wished Vincent would have spared Theo all this suffering.”

Johanna attempts to comfort Theo after Vincent’s death. Her words are prophetic, however, as Vincent’s death will cause Theo to experience mental illness as well. Johanna, however, is always selfless and focused on her husband’s happiness and well-being before her own.

“My grandmother hadn’t kept my grandfather’s identity a secret to spare his reputation because he’d been a married man, a famous man. She’d never spoken about him because she’d wanted to forget him. She’d never told my mother because she’d wanted to protect my mother from the terrible truth. But then, of course, the silence had hurt my mother anyway.”

Here, Emsley reflects upon the discovery that her mother was conceived as a result of Violet’s rape. Violet protected the man who attacked her to protect Emsley’s mother. Emsley recognizes, however, that her mother would be hurt with or without this information, so there is no right or easy answer in terms of whether Emsley’s mother should have been informed of her father’s identity.

“I could not let [Wil’s] father be taken. Our love would heal Theo. I would not give up on him and give him over to strangers. I had a terrible premonition that if I let him go, I’d never have him back.”

As Theo’s mental health declines, Johanna is determined to protect him by keeping him with her. She fears that Theo will experience the same mental illness Vincent did. Her premonition proves true; Theo later dies while in a psychiatric hospital. This quote demonstrates Johanna’s unwavering love for her husband and her tenacity and determination; both qualities serve as models for Emsley.

“I swore that after this was over, I’d never again return to Utrecht. I resented the city’s gray sky, the insidious cold winds that blew down the medieval streets and narrow canals, the dark Dom Tower that loomed over all like a menacing angel. I had disliked Utrecht when I taught English at their school for girls there years before, and now I disliked it even more for stealing my Theo.”

Johanna has unhappy memories of the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands because she attempted a career there that did not work out. This association, however, does not prevent her from supporting her husband, whom she commits to helping no matter what. Her fierce dedication to Theo will persist throughout her life, and she later takes on his goal of ensuring Vincent’s fame and the success of his work.

“I was the sword. I didn’t want my life to be a still life. I wanted it to be one of Violet’s paintings. I wanted the kind of strength and joy she had. Power from within.”

As Emsley studies Violet’s painting in the Museum of Modern Art, she is able—with the help of Strena—to recognize its significance in ways she has not before. Emsley wishes to emulate Violet’s strength and recognizes that Violet’s self-confidence resulted from visualizing herself as strong. As the novel unfolds, Emsley grows to embody a similar strength and resolve.

“Theo’s dreams for Vincent’s legacy had become mine, living stubbornly in my half-dead heart. My dreams were part of Paris, as the city’s cobblestones were part of the streets. My hopes were carriages racing down the Avenue des Champs-Elysées.”

At a young age, Johanna wonders what her life’s purpose is. After Theo’s death, she realizes that her purpose is to achieve Theo’s goal of bringing renown to Vincent’s work. As Theo’s goal becomes Johanna’s goal, Johanna overcomes the obstacles placed before her and grows as a character.

“I could not return to my old life for the simple reason that one could not return to the past. I couldn’t go back to playing duets on the piano with my younger sisters and become one of them again. They didn’t yet suspect the true harshness of life, how it could strip off your very skin. I wished not to ruin their blissful blindness.

I was not the same as I had been. I had known the love of a good man and the startling brilliance of another, the feel of my very own babe in my arms. Never would I return to the time before. Eyes once opened would not be forced closed again.”

Johanna has always wanted more from her life than to marry and bear children, despite what her mother has taught her of women’s roles (in keeping with the novel’s theme). After the hardships of witnessing both Vincent’s and Theo’s struggles with mental illness, she understands that she is no longer naïve and youthful. She must forge a new life, one in which she is independent.

“‘I should have done more,’ Theo had shouted when he’d raved. The words took root in my own heart. I should have done more. I owed it to Theo to see his life’s work succeed. I had to finish his quest, to redeem myself.”

Vincent’s death devastates Theo and precipitates Theo’s mental decline and death. Theo is tormented by guilt not only that could he not prevent Vincent’s death but also that he did also not help him find success as a painter. Because Johanna loves Theo, his sadness saddens her. Here, she decides to continue Theo’s endeavor of promoting Vincent’s work; this goal will give meaning to Johanna’s life.

“‘Mama has always been content.’ [said Dries]

Frustration had me yanking my hat off with force, pulling some hair, tangled in the ribbon. ‘I love our mother, but I don’t wish to become her.’ I set my snow-wet hat and shawl on the chair near the warm stove. ‘Is there no other way?’”

Many of the people in Johanna’s life criticize the life she wishes to pursue. Their opinions obstruct her goal. Her brother, Dries, speaks out of love for Johanna and out of a sense of what he believes to be the best sort of life for a young widow. Johanna, however, wants another kind of life. In keeping with the novel’s theme of Perseverance Through Adversity, she persists toward her goal.

“Vincent had always stood on the outside, lost to all. I don’t want him to remain lost. If people could read his letters, they would love him as much as Theo and I did. Even strangers would be able to comprehend the thoughts and emotions that went into his work.”

Johanna is inspired to collect, edit, and publish the correspondence between Vicent and Theo. She understands that Vincent has been publicly maligned, undoubtedly due to his mental illness, and she desires to give him his due. Johanna, in this and other ways, acts unselfishly, wanting the world to experience the gifts that Vincent offered.

“‘Sometimes I think Vincent was Theo’s polder. Theo tried to reclaim him over and over from malaise and dissatisfaction and even madness, always hoping to restore Vincent to happiness.’

Yet, at the end, Theo hadn’t been able to reclaim his brother. And the bullet that killed Vincent killed Theo too. This I knew for certain.”

Johanna is often moved by the close bond and love between her husband and his brother. But she is certain, too, that Vincent’s mental illness affected Theo. Whether she is aware of a possible hereditary aspect to mental illness is not apparent, but the tie nonetheless is a bittersweet one.

“I enjoyed the gathering with all my heart and hoped it would be the first of many, a more than fair substitute for Theo’s circle of artists in Paris. Perhaps even better—for these were all my friends—or in the process of becoming friends.”

Back in the Netherlands, Johanna eventually cultivates an intellectually rich life, surrounding herself by artists, writers, and thinkers whom she meets through Anna and Jan. The way in which these interactions prove engaging and stimulating for Johanna demonstrates that she was right when she insisted she could not be satisfied by a mere domestic life.

“I thought of Violet’s Excalibur. The woman in the painting didn’t live in her comfort zone. She was fierce. She didn’t wait for things to happen to her. She rode headlong into battle. Had I not always wanted to be like Violet?”

When Strena asks Emsley to be a part of her performance art piece, Emsley is hesitant. She fears literally exposing herself on stage. However, she recalls Violet’s self-portrait and draws strength and confidence from it. In this way, Violet continues to motivate and encourage Emsley after Violet’s death.

“After Violet’s death part of my despair came from thinking she was lost to the world, that I wouldn’t see an artist like her again in my lifetime. Now I understood that Violet had been a shining link in a chain of exceptional, admirable women. And there would be more, with Strena in the lead. Violet wasn’t gone. Her spirit was in the room with me.”

Here, Emsley realizes that Violet’s contributions extend beyond her own art. Through her patronage of other artists, Violet broadened the art world and brought recognition to otherwise little-known artists. Emsley is grateful for her efforts, and Violet’s selflessness is a model for her as she continues to support artists when she buys Violet’s home.

“‘You are a determined woman.’ [De Jong said].

And what could I say to that? ‘If you hear a voice within you say you cannot do something, then by all means, do that thing and the voice will be silenced.’

‘Wise words.’

‘Vincent van Gogh said them.’”

At last, Johanna succeeds in her goal when Mr. De Jong agrees to exhibit Vincent’s work. Here, Johanna displays the way in which Vincent himself indirectly inspired her and encouraged her to persevere. De Jong applauds Johanna’s efforts in stepping out of restrictive gender norms by representing van Gogh herself.

“‘You’ve done it, Jo’ [Dries] said once we settled into our conveyance. ‘You must be excited.’

‘Petrified. But even if today is an utter failure, I shall go on. This is what I have learned,’ I told him. ‘Refusals will not kill me. Ridicule will not kill me. My feelings might be hurt. I might be embarrassed, I might want the ground to open beneath my feet, and others might wish the same for me, but I will not die. I will keep trying. I will live in gratitude, my face pointed toward the light.’”

As they travel to view Vincent’s exhibit at last, Johanna speaks directly to the theme of perseverance through adversity. She is aware that she has overcome many challenges and takes pride in her perseverance. She references the symbolism of the sunflower, which endures and thrives, even in adversity.