Comparing The Secret Lion And The Man In The Well

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The two short stories I chose to compare and contrast are “The Secret Lion” by Alberto Alvaro Rios and “The Man in the Well” by Ira Sher. While reading the two short stories; I realized that they differ from each other in certain ways, but they also have similar characteristics. For example, both short sorties were written in first person point of view. However, “The Secret Lion” contains symbolism, and we can not find symbolism on “The Man in the Well”. In “The Secret Lion” the author has a strong example of symbolism. Rios used objects and places to describe each feeling of the narrator and his friend (Sergio) for the changes in their life as teenagers. For example, the narrator, which is also the protagonist of the short story had just enrolled …show more content…

The first symbol is the radical change of elementary to junior high. This was the narrator’s first confrontation with change. The second symbolic object is the arroyo. The narrator and his friend Sergio constantly visited the arroyo so they both can feel themselves. In the arroyo they can talk using the words they want (bad words) without an adult confronting. They find the arroyo as a way of avoiding reality. The grinding ball could also be considered as a symbol. The ball is a symbol of childhood. The narrator and his friend Sergio think that the ball can’t be taken away, neither they childhood, so they decide to hide it and bury it. Another symbolic object can be the golf court. In the golf court the narrator and his friend Sergio could happily act like children without anyone judging. They thought it was like heaven. The final symbolic object is the lion. The lion could be used as a symbol for their adulthood. The author’s strengths include a strong example of symbolism, organization, and humor. He used 5 symbols in the whole short story and he explained them one by one. …show more content…

Sher used simple words that a child could read, but a child could not understand the whole text. The author also used several sensory details. We can see this in “…it hit the ground more quickly than I had expected; that, combined with a feeling that he could hear everything we said, made him suddenly closer, as if he might be able to see us. I wanted to be very quiet, so that if he heard or saw anyone, he would not notice me.” Also, we can find imagery details on “she stood up and took in the whole sky with her blue eyes, making sure.” and in “…the well was too dark for that, too deep, even when the sun was high up, angling light down the stone sides like golden hair.” Themes for “The Man in the Well” could be the innocence and cruelty of children might bring negative consequences and the hardness of gaining trust without Knowing and seeing a

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