Allegory

An allegory is a narrative that serves as an extended metaphor. The main purpose of an allegory is to tell a story that has characters, a setting, as well as other types of symbols that have both literal and figurative meanings. Symbolism is the use of a person, a thing, or a spectacle to represent something less palpable. The difference between an allegory and a symbol is that an allegory is a complete narrative that conveys abstract ideas to get a point across, while a symbol is a representation of an idea or concept that can have a different meaning throughout a literary work.

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is an example of an allegory. The Lottery conveys many abstract ideas that attempt to convey Jackson’s message about tradition, human instinct, and change. At first glance, the title of the story seems like a positive aspect, like winning the current lottery, where you win money. However, as the story develops, the lottery is not what it seems. The lottery is a more along the lines of a bankruptcy rather than an actually lottery. “The Lottery” is an allegory that represents death and tradition in many ways. The little black box that contains the names to be drawn is in bad shape and should be replaced as mentioned by the narrator. The suggestion to replace it comes across the minds of the people but because it has been around for so long, they refuse to replace it, as it is a tradition in which they refuse to change. This shows just one aspect of the people and their unwillingness to change an old tradition. The conformity and unwillingness to change their tradition shows itself again when the readers find out what it means to win the lottery. The winner of the lottery is stoned to death and they do this because that is the tradition that has been done by their ancestors for ages. The allegory in this story is the belief of tradition, the unwillingness for change, and they conformity that everyone reverts to.

The Chyrsanthemums: symbolism

In the short story “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck uses symbolism throughout the story to describe Elisa, the main character of the story. Steinbeck uses symbolism to reveal the Elisa’s hidden emotions and true character. The chrysanthemums that Elisa admires and takes care of represent her in many different ways.
The chrysanthemums symbolize many traits of Elisa, with one of them being her feminine side. In the beginning of the story, Steinbeck establishes Elisa’s passion in regards to the chrysanthemums. She treats them like they were almost like children that need to be nurtured and cared for. She trims the flowers diligently and with the utmost care, so much that she is proud of what they have become. Steinbeck even goes to tell that Elisa would destroy pests before they could get near her chrysanthemums. This shows that she is protective of her “flowers” and will do everything it takes to keep them from harm.
The chrysanthemums further symbolize her feminine side when she meets the tinker while tending to her flowers. At first, Elisa is hesitant and tries to resist the tinker. But the tinker senses Elisa’s passion for her chrysanthemums. He plays on this and finally gets Elisa’s full attention. The chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa’s feminine side and the tinker played on that. After a short conversation, Elisa even makes a pass at the tinker, showing that the chrysanthemums are her weakness. She believes that the tinker is going to take the flowers to one of his customers in the area, but in the end, she finds that the tinker threw away her chrysanthemums on the side of the road. Elisa cries at this sight, as she knows now that the tinker only showed interest in her flowers to get her business. The sight of Elisa crying over her flowers shows her true feminine side – weak, soft, and vulnerable.

Character...

In the story “The Death of Ivan Ilych” the author uses Ivan Ilych as a major character to deliver the overall meaning and theme of the story. Ivan Ilych’s character develops at the beginning of the story, where it starts off with his background and childhood. This sets the stage for the development and change in Ivan’s character. The main theme expressed throughout the story is of death and the inevitable. The change in Ivan’s character clearly shows the recurring theme of death and its effects on a human being.
The author introduces Ivan Ilych as a man who lived a simple and ordinary life, giving history about his schooling and family background. Ivan was described as being the “pride of the family,” and that he was an amusing and witty social person. Ivan’s outlook on life was that of a carefree person looking to enjoy life without having to constantly deal with problems and matters that took the “fun” out of life. He always found a way to avoid problems and confrontation, rather than dealing with them. Once he gets married to his wife, the problems seem to work themselves out and everything seems merry. This was short lived, as after a while, Ivan begins to avoid his wife and always has company over to distract him from his wife and children. Although this was the case, Ivan remained happy and optimistic about his life and everything that takes place around him. He was open minded and believed that everything is the way it should be.
All this changes when Ivan discovers that he will soon face death. Ivan’s character changes from open minded ness and optimism to pessimistic and dismal. Once he finds that he will eventually die, his outlook on life changes drastically. At home, he constantly argues and quarrels with his wife and children. Everything they say seems to annoy him and get on his nerves. His calmness is now replaced with anger and snap judgments. All these changes stem from the thought of death, which Ivan soon has to face no matter what he does. The thought of death and the inability to escape its path transforms Ivan into a whole new character. This change in character from the beginning of the story to the end stems shows the theme of death and its effect on a person.

"A Worn Path"

In the short story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, the primary focus is Phoenix Jackson, an old, fragile Negro lady. On the surface, the story is about an old lady making a trip into the city to obtain medicine, but the story has a deeper meaning, an underlying connotation. Phoenix Jackson’s casual trip to the city is more than just a trip down a worn path but rather a struggle and a test of perseverance. The trip to the city is a test to show the persistence and perseverance of Phoenix Jackson to overcome the many obstacles presented in her path. Underneath the surface, Welty uses the characters, setting, and imagery to present the themes of immortality, racism and struggle.
From the beginning of the story, the theme of immortality presents itself starting with Phoenix Jackson. The name “Phoenix” in itself is a direct reference to the mythical bird. According to Webster’s dictionary, a phoenix is “a legendary bird which burned itself to ashes on a pyre, and rose alive from the ashes to live another period, often a sign of immortality.” Here, at the beginning of the story, the direct reference to the mythical phoenix gives the hint of immortality. Even Phoenix Jackson’s physical appearance resembles that of the mythical phoenix. The mythical phoenix represents itself with lavish colors of red and gold, colors that also describe the appearance of Phoenix Jackson in the story. Phoenix Jackson was “an old Negro woman with her head tied in a red rag…a golden color ran underneath the two knobs of her cheeks were illumined by a yellow burning under the dark” (Welty 1544). Clearly, Welty reinforces and emphasizes the importance of Phoenix Jackson as it pertains to her appearance and resemblance to the mythical phoenix.
Welty also uses time to show Phoenix Jackson’s immortality (Donlan 549). She “walked slowly in the dark pine shadows, moving a little from side to side in her steps, with the balance heaviness and lightness of a pendulum in a grandfather clock” (Welty 1544). The purpose of this mental image is to show that Phoenix Jackson is in fact an old lady but also to show that even through old age, she is able to triumph and still move freely without struggle. The appearance of Phoenix Jackson emphasizes the theme of immortality which is important because as the trip to the city unveils, Phoenix Jackson is constantly surrounded by darkness and death, another link to the theme of immortality.
Although the text does not explicitly refer to Phoenix Jackson as the mythical phoenix, Welty makes a comparison that clearly parallels the actions of the mythical creature (Donlan 550). In mythology, the phoenix builds itself a nest at the end of its life-cycle. It then ignites itself in which both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new phoenix arises. This action is similar to that of Phoenix Jackson’s actions in the story. In the story, she “spread her skirts on the bank around her and folded her hands over her knees” (Welty 1545) resembling a bird that focuses and concentrates on a task. In this scene, Phoenix Jackson spreads herself next to the bank, rejuvenating and gathering energy for the continuation of her trip. Much like a phoenix, she is setting fire to herself in a sense that she will rise again and become a new person. This resembles a phoenix nesting and ready to set fire to itself to rise from the ashes to begin an immortal journey. Phoenix Jackson’s portrayal in the story represents Welty’s underlying theme of immortality. From her name to her appearance and actions, Phoenix Jackson represents immortality.
Along with immortality, the theme of racism presents itself throughout the story. Although it is overlooked, Welty clearly states in Phoenix Jackson’s description that she was an “old Negro woman” (Welty 1544) placing emphasis on the fact that Phoenix Jackson is a colored woman. This sets the stage for most if not all of the events that allude to the theme of racism. At the beginning of her trip, Phoenix Jackson walks through woods and begins walking up a hill. As she walks up the hill, she says that there “seems like there is chains about my feet…something always take a hold of me on this hill – pleads I should stay” (Welty 1544). On the surface, Phoenix Jackson makes a blunt reference to chains and being held down, but upon closer inspection, the theme of racism presents itself. Given the background of the main character, the thought of chains makes an “unsettling reference to the bound slaves” (Skyes). This is one of many references that Welty makes in regards to racism.
The theme of racism presents itself again when Phoenix hallucinates by the river bank. She envisions that “a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble-cake on it, and she said it would be acceptable. But when she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air” (Welty 1545). Marble cake is a mixture of white and black chocolate fused together. It is “a direct reference to the idea of integration in the South” (Skyes), an idea that was met with great opposition. This proves true when Phoenix tries to take a piece of the cake but ends up with just air – “it is an unattainable dream, a utopian fantasy” (Skyes) that Phoenix accepts and lives with.
Phoenix’s next encounter with the hunter and his dogs shows another theme of oppression and struggle consistent throughout the story. The white hunter is the symbol of oppression as he taunts and tries to turn Phoenix Jackson back home. After scaring off a dog, the hunter returns and points his gun at Phoenix Jackson. He asks her if the guns scares her and she responds “No, sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done” (Welty 1547). The hunter tries to scare Phoenix into turning around and taunts her in hopes that she would be too scared to carry on. However, this plan backfires as Phoenix Jackson stands her ground. She knows no fear and is determined to go on about her business.
The hunter presses the matter, telling Phoenix to take his advice and stay home, and nothing will happen to her (Welty 1547). Even through all the attempts to force her to end her journey, Phoenix Jackson shows her strength to stand up against oppression and her persistence to finish what she has set out to do. Another mishap occurs once Phoenix Jackson reaches the city. As she enters the building, the attendant speaks to her in a rude manner, referring to her as “a charity case.” Already, Phoenix Jackson is met with opposition in which the attendant speaks down to her, treating her as less than an equal. She refuses to give into the attendant’s comments and remains silent instead of retaliating. This is important in the sense that it shows Phoenix Jackson’s character and her ability to overcome adversity and her true mental and physical toughness. Even when she is tested, Phoenix Jackson remains calm and comes out on top. Opposition and struggle are a constant theme in the story. It shows the persistence and toughness of Phoenix Jackson.
At the surface “A Worn Path” is merely about an old Negro woman who makes a journey to the city to obtain medication for her grandson. Upon closer examination, the author uses different elements of literature such as setting and imagery to develop the many themes presented in the story. The story of Phoenix Jackson’s journey incorporates multiple themes such as racism, opposition and struggle, and immortality.

Character

In the story “Sonny’s Blues,” the minor characters help to develop the two main characters, Sonny and his brother the narrator. Sonny’s character develops through Creole, and the narrator’s character develops through their parents.
From the beginning of the story, Sonny’s character is portrayed as young, immature, careless, and very stubborn. He wants to pursue a career as a musician but ends up going to jail for a period of time. He refuses to give into his brother’s belief of doing things because you should do it versus doing something because you want to. All the way up to the beginning of the story, Sonny is the same person and there is no improvement in his character. This is up until the end of the story, when Sonny goes onstage to perform with Creole. At first, Sonny struggles and almost caves in on his fear. Instead of giving into that fear, Creole creates time with the band to allow Sonny to get over his fear. Instead of having the band move on without Sonny, Creole allows Sonny to recuperate and join the band. Although this may seem insignificant, it is significant in the development of Sonny’s character. In his life, Sonny has always been told what to do and what not to do. But in this moment, Sonny made a decision to come out of his shell, and he excelled. His character came to life, showing his maturation into an adult.
The narrator’s character, unlike his brother Sonny, develops through his parents. At one point in the story, the narrator recalls a conversation with his mother about his father’s past. She tells him that his father and his father’s brother were drunk one night and an accident happened. His father’s brother was hit by a car and killed because his father did not look after his younger brother. The narrator took this personally and builds his character around this event. He believes that it is his responsibility to take care of his younger brother and to look out for him no matter what happens. When Sonny goes to jail, his brother feels that he has failed him, and that he has let his parents down. The narrator has taken on the role of the “parent” and his character builds around this principle.

Babylon Revisited

In “Babylon Revisited,” Charlie’s attitudes toward himself and his past are revealed early in the story through subtle but defining expressions. From beginning to end, Charlie expresses remorse and regret about his actions and his past. It starts in the beginning when Charlie says “I’m going slow these days” which suggests that he was once living life in the “fast” lane as compared to now. Compared to his past, Charlie now understands what happened to him before. He says that he “lost everything he wanted in the boom,” referring to his wife Helen and his daughter.

Many parts of the story reveal Charlie’s difficulty of escaping his past. In his first conversation with Marion, Charlie kept making references to his past even though he tried his hardest not to. At first, he talks of his past money, then he moves into talking about his encounter at the bar, bringing up past problems. He tries his best not to bring up or refer to his past, but it always comes back up. In his attempt to regain guardianship of his daughter, Marion points out that if Charlie was not in a sanitarium, then she would not have to take legal guardianship of Honoria. Again, Charlie’s past comes back to haunt him even though he wants to put it behind him. Later, Charlie runs into old friends Lorraine and Duncan, who also bring up the past which he has tried so hard to avoid. Charlie runs into Lorraine again at the end of the story, which results in Marion getting upset and refusing to allow Charlie to take legal guardianship of Honoria. As much as Charlie tries to escape his past, it is inevitable.

The Open Boat

In “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane, the main setting of the story is out at sea. The four men – the correspondent, the oiler, the cook, and the captain are inside a small boat in the middle of the ocean. At first Crane describes land as a “long black shadow on the sea that was thinner than paper.” The land disappears and then re-appears again as a black shadow, no matter how close the men get to the island. This motif of a black, thin shadow perfectly describes the situation of the men in the boat. The men in the boat are in a situation where the odds are against them, where they have no chance to survive. The thin black line is almost like a tease that there might be hope. The thought of hope gives the men something to fight for but it is a lost cause. Hope appears and disappears as the sight of land appears and disappears from the distance. In this situation, the characters literally have no chance of survival.

This tells a great deal about our own relationship with nature. Nature is unforgiving and has no sympathy for anyone or anything. Everything that man tries to do in this story is futile and ends in the demise of man. This story also tells us that nature is all powerful over man. The description of black and thin in the story give us the exact relationship between nature and man. Trying to find hope when man is going against nature is almost always a lost cause – nature will always win.