The Use of Symbolism in The Paring Knife by Michael Oppenheime

735 Words2 Pages

The use of symbolism in short stories enhances the meaning behind the literal meaning that the plot poses. It connects the reader towards visually connecting symbols to particular concepts in the story. In the story, “The Paring Knife” by Michael Oppenheimer, introduces us to two characters whom are lovers yet through the finding of a paring knife under their refrigerator, a past unfortunate event in their relationship begins to unfold. Symbolism is present all through the story, as even the title suggests at first that the paring knife will be symbolic to understand the meaning of the story. Symbolism is prevalent in “The Paring Knife”, to contribute to the overall significance of the short story.

Initially, the author introduces us to the paring knife as the title of the story. By doing this Oppenheimer hints that the paring knife is symbolic to the story. It as itself is a symbol of separation and disconnection. The paring knife is a literal symbol that connects us to the separation that happened between the person telling the story and who this person refers to as “the woman I love”. Upon the finding of the paring knife under the refrigerator, the narrator, tells us that he/she had “since forgotten about it”. The paring knife held that separation that they had encountered that particular night yet had until now been remembered. This contributes to the plot of what their relationship went through .

Furthermore,the paring knife symbolizes the initiation of their disconnection.The narrator explains that the night they fought , they must of “overlooked the knife”. When the author talks about the overlooking of the paring knife, this symbolizes the need to oppress the event that placed them in a distant state of mind that c...

... middle of paper ...

...the the woman “without saying one word” sliding the knife back into the refrigerator. Oppenheimer uses the woman to contribute to the traumatic event that happened that night through using the woman as a symbol for the harm that was done to the woman.
In closing, symbolism used in “The Paring Knife” further helps the reader see the relationship and significance that they contribute. Oppenheimer, uses the paring knife as both a symbol for separation and the negative effects that the knife pose for both of them. The story also uses the repeating action of cleaning as well as a symbol. Nevertheless, the way that the author constructs the character of the woman is of great significance to the overall theme of the story. The symbols used in the short story “The Paring Knife”, by Michael Oppenheimer gives the reader an opening into the overall significance of the story.

Show More
Related

  • Symbolism In Graceling By Krisin Cashore

    735 Words  | 2 Pages

    This portrays Po as both a humble and family oriented individual, by showing that he isn’t vain about his eye color and he also remembers why his brothers gave him that nickname a long time ago. These examples of symbolism that Cashore uses allows her to give subtle details about the characters without giving away all of the information about them in a direct manner. The portrayal of these characters could be greatly influenced through many uses of symbolism. Through the cases that the author Kristin Cashore uses, it allows the reader to gain more information on and connect to the characters Randa, Katsa, and Po on a deeper level.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Symbolism In The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst

    814 Words  | 2 Pages

    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. Wanting to become an Opera singer he traveled to Rome to further he studies. He soon realized he no talent for singing and settled for being a banker by night and a writer by day (James Richard Hurst). “The Scarlet Ibis”, the short story Hurst is most famously known for, contains several important symbols including, Doodle’s go-cart, Old Woman Swamp, and the scarlet ibis.

    Read More

  • Use of Symbolism in Golding's Lord of the Flies

    1323 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lord of the Flies, a suggestive name for the Devil, a devil whose name proposes that he is devoted to decay, destruction, demoralization and panic, exactly what William Golding had in mind when using symbolism in this novel. The Lord of the Flies (1954), is a novel in which interpretating the symbols are a main key to not only understanding, but also enjoying the novel. After tying many of the symbols together, you can figure out more about what the author is trying to depict, the overall scene.

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye Symbolism Analysis

    1073 Words  | 3 Pages

    Symbolism is the use of objects or people for a different idea or meaning. These can be inanimate objects, people, animals, or even ideas, and they can be used for many purposes. Symbolism is often subtle; it can be difficult to see without careful attention, and J. D. Salinger sneaks it in The Catcher in the Rye without making it obvious. He often portrays Holden’s thoughts in symbolism, without writing them word for word on the page. J. D. Salinger makes use of symbols in The Catcher in the Rye in order to convey Holden's desire to protect and prolong innocence in himself and others.

    Read More

  • Divorce Billy Collins Analysis

    922 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mr. Collins purposely switches the utensils from, spoons to forks to knives, to show how gradually a divorce happens. The word, “knives” in this line means the lawyers in which the couple hire to settle the divorce (4). Knives are also cutting utensils, so this is also another symbolization within cutting a couple in half or any relationship. The last line of the poem is the last piece to a divorce which is going to court. This is also the last line that has enjambment and truly hammers the nail with the separation between

    Read More

  • What Is The Symbolism In The Yellow Wallpaper

    1298 Words  | 3 Pages

    This ‘insane’ act serves only to show how lost the narrator’s mind is. The narrator also reveals that she has a rope that she will use “if that woman does get out, and tries to get away, I can tie her” (236). The woman is a symbol of the narrator’s pre-nervous disorder personality. She essentially uses the statement to say that if the woman she once was escaping, she will hang herself. Finally, the story reaches its climax, in which John and the narrator have a final standoff in the now wall paperless bedroom (237).

    Read More

  • Michael Turner's Halloween: A Film Analysis Of The Slasher Film

    1810 Words  | 4 Pages

    knife as his late arriving parents stare at him motionless neglecting the fact that their daughter is

    Read More

  • The Uses Of Symbolism In The Handmaid's Tale

    1981 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the real world, different symbols are used to help people understand things, and to add different effects onto people’s lives. For example a pendent a women or man wears from the army helps someone understand what they’ve been through and helps portray them as a strong individual. In novels which may have complex story lines like The Handmaids tale it is important that these novels have some symbolism to help the reader decode what some details in the novel represent, helping them understand the plot more in-depth. Through the novel of the Handmaid Tale by Margaret Atwood, symbolism is present and that helps to enhance the story line, as well as contribute an important factor in which is helping the reader understand

    Read More

  • A Raisin In The Sun Figurative Language

    477 Words  | 1 Pages

    This passage contains a wide array of literary devices, ranging from syntax to figurative language. These devices all help to describe the situation Jim is in, in this part of the book. He stayed the night at the Cutter’s house instead of Ántonia, which resulted in him being injured and humiliated. From the figurative language and imagery at the start of the passage, such as, “My lip was cut and stood out like a snout. My nose looked like a big blue plum” (161), the sheer damage is shown to its full extent. This connects to the larger motif of the past or childhood that backdrops the entire novel, as it is this kind of very drastic experience that impacts someone. Such an event serves an important role in the development of an adolescent, and the repercussions of this event may be elaborated on later in the book.

    Read More

  • Symbolism in A Doll’s House

    951 Words  | 2 Pages

    The analysis argues the use of symbolism as it applies to the aspects of the characters and their relationships. Henrik Ibsen’s extensive use of symbols is applied to capture the reader’s attention. Symbols like the Christmas tree, the locked mailbox, the Tarantella, Dr. Rank’s calling cards, and the letters add a delicate meaning to the characters and help convey ideas and themes throughout the play.

    Read More

  • Symbolism And Repetition In The Meshes Of The Afternoon

    1749 Words  | 4 Pages

    The woman then walked into a house, sat down on a chair, and fall into sleep. Having a close-up of her eyes to show the imagination leads into the dream. At this point, it shows that the woman has already been tempted. In the second repeat, mirror weirdo shows up and takes the flowers on the ground, while the knife is falling down from the bread. This indicates that the desire of sex has been brought out. When the woman sees the mirror weirdo serve no purpose and pulled out the key from mouth, it means that she already starts self-reflecting and consciously asserting her right, which puts in a private place for safekeeping. In the third repetition, a mirror weirdo holds a flower directly into the house and walks up the stairs. The woman follows behind, but a mirror weirdo disappears and leaves the flower on the bedside. The woman’s expression is uncertain this time. In her subconscious mind, she starts distrusting what she had seen. In the last repetition, the

    Read More

  • The Bedroom in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

    1109 Words  | 3 Pages

    This mystery-bound-to-remain-a-mystery is exposed when the (voyeuristic) subject and the (fetishistic) object exchange places. At the story's close, the narrator is determined to "astonish" John. "I don't want to go out," she writes, "and I don't want to have anybody come in, till John comes. I want to astonish him" (Gilman 34). John comes home to find that she has "locked the door and thrown the key down into the front path" (Gilman 34).

    Read More

  • Symbolism in Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway

    1699 Words  | 4 Pages

    # “Symbolism.” The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2002. 220.

    Read More

  • Theme Analysis of D.H. Lawrence's The Horse Dealer's Daughter

    1188 Words  | 3 Pages

    In “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter,” symbols are used to fulfill the quest of happiness and love. This love story has many symbols, which show hidden meaning. One can fully understand a story, if one can point out certain symbols. Symbols create ideas and images for the reader to better understand the story. (Symbol)Mabel, one of the two main characters in this story, is depressed and suicidal. After her mother died, she feels like there is nothing to live for. Her mother was the love and joy in her life; without her, she is lost. All she has left is her house, which she is extremely proud of, and her brother, which she seems not to care for. She decides to release herself from her troubles by drowning herself in a pond. The other main character, Dr. Fergusson, sees her and tries to save her life. This pond is a strong symbol with many meanings. It is a start of a new experience, and a change of two people’s lives.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In The Rocking-Horse Winner

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. (2009 Open-Ended Question for AP English Literature and Composition).

    Read More

More about The Use of Symbolism in The Paring Knife by Michael Oppenheime

Open Document