How to Say Babylon: A Memoir

Safiya Sinclair is the protagonist of the memoir and is the oldest child and daughter of Esther and Howard. Her name means “Clear minded and pure. Beautiful” (54). She is viewed as a miracle child by Esther, primarily because Esther was told by a medical practitioner that she would be infertile.

Safiya grows up in a deeply restrictive, abusive, and repressive home, where her father, Howard, violently enforces his version of Rastafari religion. Safiya internalizes his obsession with female sexual purity, though as she grows up, she sees the hypocrisy of many of Howard’s rules.

Safiya is extremely smart and often paves the way for her younger siblings’ success in school. She is an avid reader of Greek mythology and is particularly drawn to Gothic and Romantic literature. Eventually, she becomes a talented poet, winning many accolades both in Jamaica and abroad. These achievements, coupled with the good looks that enable her to have a modeling career, empower Safiya to stand up to Howard. Even when he is so enraged that he tries to kill her, Safiya holds on to her sense of self, persevering in her MFA program at the University of Virginia and eventually writing the memoir, which highlights how fiercely protective she feels of the women in her family.