In ‘hurricane hits England’ (hurricane) by Grace Nichols the arrival
of the hurricane challenges the thoughts of the poet, she is initially
from the Caribbean but now live in Sussex, until the arrival of the
hurricane she has not felt at home in England. This is similar to
‘presents from my Aunts in Pakistan’ (presents) by Moniza Alvi, she
also has roots from another country and now lives in England. The
arrival of presents from the Pakistan culture challenges her
thinking, as does the hurricane to Nichols.
The hurricane challenges her thinking by making her realise that
it is possible to bring your roots anywhere. She comes to this
realisation through the poem and at the end of it comes to the
conclusion that ‘the earth is the earth is the earth’. She originally
feels torn between her two cultures, it takes the arrival of the
hurricane ‘to bring her closer’. Whereas in ‘presents’ it is the
arrival of the presents from Pakistan that make her feel torn
between cultures. The clothes are a symbol of culture, she feels
‘alien’ and awkward wearing them and much more comfortable in
her English ‘denim and corduroy’.
Nichols also uses symbolism in her poem, the hurricane is a symbol of her Caribbean culture. They are very irregular in
England but a regular occurrence in her childhood in the
Caribbean, this makes her feel comfortable and at home. The
hurricane is used along with many other natural images, this is
mainly because of the effect of the wind on the landscape, for
example the 'trees / Falling heavy as whales' is an effective line
because the huge trees become like whales when the torrential
rain that accompanies a hurricane makes the land become almost
like a sea. Another natural image is the ‘frozen lake in me’ which
metaphorically is the poet being ‘frozen’ away from her county and
now the hurricane has arrived to break the ice, so she can bring
her roots anywhere.
‘Presents’ also uses natural images, the poet describes the sari
that is sent as ‘apple-green’ and the salwar kameez as ‘peacock
blue’ and the other ‘like an orange split open’. This vibrant simile
and the repeated reference to colour draws her to the loveliness of
the culture and emphasises the contrast to the boring English
Symbolism Symbolism can be defined “as the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense” (C. Bavota). James Hurst gives us many examples of symbolism in his short story “The Scarlet Ibis.” James Hurst was born in 1922 and was the youngest of three children. He attended North Carolina State College and served in the United States Army during World War II. He had originally studied to become a chemical engineer, but he realized he had a passion for music and became a student at the Juilliard School of Music in New York.
For example, when Hope, Dell, and Jackie go with their grandpa to The Candy Lady’s house, “...the sound of melting ice cream being slurped up fast, before it slides past our wrists, on down our arms and onto the hot, dry road” (Woodson 71). Furthermore, symbolism plays a big part in the poems. At one point in the story, once the family is in New York, the narrator describes a single tree in a small square of dirt, and it represents the part of the south that she still holds with her, the fact that Greenville, South Carolina will always be a part of her. I appreciated the symbolism and the fact that it provided more depth to the book; some instances of symbolism were genuinely
In almost every story, one can find symbolism throughout the text to help the reader better understand what the writer wants the reader to takeout from his/her story. Symbolism is something that must be analyzed and explored to experience a deeper meaning to the story. Sometimes, symbolism throughout a story may not be noticeable when first read, but going back to analyze the text can add a deeper meaning to words and can also help to enhance the meaning behind the story line. In some instances, symbolism can leave a reader to ponder what the writer is trying to express with the symbolism used in the story; for symbolism can be interpreted differently and can have many layers of meaning to it. Some good examples of short stories that use symbolism
form the reader and wants the reader to know how it feels to have two
Throughout history writers have offered readers lessons through themes and often symbolized. In the story, “The Storm” by Kate Chopin is quite different from “The Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid; both have a different theme, symbol, throughout the stories. “The Storm” in Kate Chopin 's story can symbolize a number of different things: temporary, fleeting and quick action, and without consequences.
While he is being exposed to a storm on the outside, Gregory Orr is “hunkered down… in the cave of self… praying for sparks / in that dark” (1-5). In this passage from “Trauma”, Orr is employing a well defined symbol of the storm as the external conflict that he is struggling with at the time. The storm is crushing him, and he unsuccessfully searches for an answer within himself. Orr is fragile in this poem, vulnerable to the harsh storm that is bearing upon him. Problems like these are not uncommon throughout writing pieces, and it can be identified within a countless number of works. Similarly, Julia Alvarez uses the symbol of a storm in her novel In the Time of the Butterflies. In Alvarez’s case, the storm is not as much of an external problem,
Symbolism is strongly represented through Kaplan’s short story. The symbols represented are the ocean, the killing of the doe and the woods. Visiting the ocean for the first time at the Jersey Shore was new for Andy. Since then she had been awfully frightened of the ocean. She believes the ocean to be a huge, vast that constantly moved, keeps shifting
The presence of symbolism throughout the novel is undeniable. Each of the symbols in the work are representative of a certain aspect of the characters lives. Dreams showed readers the desire of characters to escape their realities. The twins that Senora Valencia gives birth to are clearly meant to represent the neighboring nations of Haiti and The Dominican Republic. Water is primarily symbolic of life and death, but in this case readers are expected to come to their own conclusions regarding the river. Using these symbols allows the author to make discrete yet important additions to her writing without disrupting the format of the novel. Aside from serving as a benefit to the authors writing style, they can also be seen as an artistic addition which brings the entire novel to a different level. The use of symbolism in The Farming of Bones is not only extraordinarily well written but also completely essential to the story as a whole.
Symbolism is one of the most effective and powerful elements in writing. We see various examples of this all throughout "The Things They Carried." Symbolism enables us to tell a story one way, while all along trying to say another. I believe Tim O'Brien has achieved success in doing so in "The Things They Carried."
Symbolism is what makes a story complete. In "The Great Gatsby" Fitzgerald cleverly uses symbolism. Virtually anything in the novel can
as though there has been an alien in her room. So, the purpose is that
Many authors and poets uses symbolism to express emotion and sections throughout the text. Symbols is a great literary device that can help give messages to the reader without the author being too direct. In the story, “Barns Burning” by William Faulkner, Symbolism helps analysis different emotions and meaning throughout the story.
One example of symbolism seen in the play is with the dead canary bird. As the women
Specifically, the author used a wide range of meaning within her few stanzas. For example, the meanings of the phrases “Between the Heaves of Storm,” “had wrung them dry,” and “signed away,” possessed a sense
poems, which is personification, and it takes on an important role in her writing, regardless of