can you help me come up with a thesis statement I could use for an essay that analyzes how Kincaid uses literary elements and techniques to develop the conflict that arises from the complex interaction of Lucy and Mariah’s different values.

Then I'm supposed to write a paragraph in support of that theses. This is all based off of the novel Jamaica Kincaid’s novel Lucy published in 1990 and below is the specific piece its based off of.

"One morning in early March, Mariah said to me, “You have never seen spring, have you?” And she did not have to await an answer, for she already knew. She said the word “spring” as if spring were a close friend, a friend who had dared to go away for a long time and soon would reappear for their passionate reunion. She said, “Have you ever seen daffodils pushing their way up out of the ground? And when they’re in bloom and all massed together, a breeze comes along and makes them do a curtsy to the lawn stretching out in front of them. Have you ever seen that? When I see that, I feel so glad to be alive.” And I thought, So Mariah is made to feel alive by some flowers bending in the breeze. How does a person get to be that way?

I remembered an old poem I had been made to memorize when I was ten years old and a pupil at Queen Victoria Girls’ School. I had been made to memorize it, verse after verse, and then had recited the whole poem to an auditorium full of parents, teachers, and my fellow pupils. After I was done, everybody stood up and applauded with an enthusiasm that surprised me, and later they told me how nicely I had pronounced every word, how I had placed just the right amount of special emphasis in places where that was needed, and how proud the poet, now long dead, would have been to hear his words ringing out of my mouth. I was then at the height of my two-facedness: that is, outside I seemed one way, inside I was another; outside false, inside true. And so I made pleasant little noises that showed both modesty and appreciation, but inside I was making a vow to erase from my mind, line by line, every word of that poem. The night after I had recited the poem, I dreamt, continuously it seemed, that I was being chased down a narrow cobbled street by bunches and bunches of those same daffodils that I had vowed to forget, and when finally I fell down from exhaustion they all piled on top of me, until I was buried deep underneath them and was never seen again. I had forgotten all of this until Mariah mentioned daffodils, and now I told it to her with such an amount of anger I surprised both of us. We were standing quite close to each other, but as soon as I had finished speaking, without a second of deliberation we both stepped back. It was only one step that was made, but to me it felt as if something that I had not been aware of had been checked.

Mariah reached out to me and, rubbing her hand against my cheek, said, “What a history you have.” I thought there was a little bit of envy in her voice, and so I said, “You are welcome to it if you like.”

After that, each day, Mariah began by saying, “As soon as spring comes,” and so many plans would follow that I could not see how one little spring could contain them. She said we would leave the city and go to the house on one of the Great Lakes, the house where she spent her summers when she was a girl. We would visit some great gardens. We would visit the zoo—a nice thing to do in springtime; the children would love that. We would have a picnic in the park as soon as the first unexpected and unusually warm day arrived. An early-evening walk in the spring air—that was something she really wanted to do with me, to show me the magic of a spring sky."

In Jamaica Kincaid’s novel Lucy, the conflict that arises from the complex interaction of Lucy and Mariah’s different values is developed through the use of literary elements and techniques such as symbolism, imagery, and characterization.

Here is a paragraph in support of that thesis:

One of the most striking examples of how Kincaid uses literary elements to develop the conflict between Lucy and Mariah is through the use of symbolism. For example, daffodils are repeatedly used throughout the novel to represent Mariah's values. When Mariah first mentions daffodils to Lucy, she describes them as "a close friend, a friend who had dared to go away for a long time and soon would reappear for their passionate reunion." This description suggests that Mariah sees daffodils as a symbol of hope and renewal, two values that are very important to her. However, Lucy does not share Mariah's positive view of daffodils. In fact, she has a nightmare in which she is chased down a narrow street by bunches of daffodils. This nightmare suggests that Lucy sees daffodils as a symbol of something dark and threatening, which is in direct contrast to Mariah's view of them.

The use of imagery is another way that Kincaid develops the conflict between Lucy and Mariah. For example, when Lucy is describing her childhood, she says that she was "made to memorize" a poem about daffodils. This image suggests that Lucy was forced to conform to Mariah's values, even though she did not agree with them. Additionally, when Lucy is describing her dream about the daffodils, she says that they "piled on top of me, until I was buried deep underneath them and was never seen again." This image suggests that Lucy feels suffocated by Mariah's values and that she is afraid of being swallowed up by them.

Finally, Kincaid also uses characterization to develop the conflict between Lucy and Mariah. For example, Lucy is described as being "independent" and "strong-willed," while Mariah is described as being "traditional" and "submissive." These descriptions suggest that Lucy and Mariah have very different personalities, which leads to conflict between them.

In conclusion, Kincaid uses a variety of literary elements and techniques to develop the conflict that arises from the complex interaction of Lucy and Mariah's different values. These elements include symbolism, imagery, and characterization. By using these elements, Kincaid is able to create a complex and nuanced portrayal of the conflict between Lucy and Mariah.

I did my best, I hope this helps you.>>