While finishing up The Pagoda, I came across this quote: “he wept, for he could now see the kind of woman Miss Sylvie wanted him to be. Someone attentive like this, gentle like this, someone who knew how to soothe him even before he asked, someone who knew the precise locations of his ailments even before he opened his mouth to point them out” (Powell 150). The description of soothing and treatment of ailments led me to think about the use of aloe vera as both a beverage and treatment of all sorts.
Aloe vera is a succulent plant that originated in the Arabian Peninsula and is one of many aloe plants. Aloe has been used in beverages and both hair and skin treatments (“Aloe Vera”). The plant is known for its green thick leaves with sharp, thorn-like edges. Interestingly enough, it is also sometimes called “Burn Aloe” or “First Aid Plant” referencing its moisturizing properties as seen in dry or sunburned skin treatment as well as the new curly hair product fad. Aloe’s uses do not stop there! It has been grown as a house or garden plant that does not require much nurturing, but it also has a functional purpose as an insect repellant. In terms of sustenance and consumption, aloe has components that are used in laxatives and is sometimes consumed in the juice form for digestive aiding claims. From hair styling, sunburns to digestive problems and over infestations of your garden, aloe is the answer.
Works Cited:
“Aloe Vera.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Nov. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe_vera.
Powell, Patricia. The Pagoda: a Novel. Harcourt, Inc., 1999.
