In the novel, Mama Day, the bridge is the only way to get on or off the island. After the bridge is destroyed, the island is cut off....... isolated. Metaphorically, Cocoa (Ophelia) is also a bridge: she is the bridge between New York and Willow Springs, between Black and White, between the lofty language of her educated husband and the homespun dialect of the folks at home. When the storm hits, both bridges are damaged, and can only be repaired with hard work and sacrifice.
Mama Day