In “The Red Convertible”, Erdrich uses symbolism in a variety of ways. The most important symbol is the title car, the significance of which changes as the story unfolds. Erdrich’s use of symbolism in this way gives her story depth and complexity and enables her to communicate ideas and character developments without lengthy explanations. As…
Tag: Symbolism
The Red Convertible – Symbolism – Literary Devices
First-Person Narrator ”The Red Convertible” is told entirely in the first person from Lyman’s point of view. He tells the reader about his brother, expressing the love and admiration he felt and his pain at being powerless to help him in the end. His voice is seemingly trustworthy and reliable, and he is unashamed of…
Marigolds by Eugenie W. Collier – Symbolism, Metaphor, Literary Devices
Memoir Collier tells the story in the style of a memoir, that is, in first person, as if she is speaking directly to the reader. Use of the words ‘‘I’’ and ‘‘my’’ and ‘‘we’’ make the story more personal, more emotional than it would be if told in the third person or in the style…
The Masque of the Red Death – Symbolism, Allegory & Gothic Elements
Allegory and Parable “The Masque of the Red Death” is considered an allegorical tale; this means that the literal elements of the story are meant to be understood as symbolic of some greater meaning. Britannica Online explains that an allegory “uses symbolic fictional figures and actions to convey truths or generalizations about human conduct or…
The Magic Barrel – Symbolism, Point of View & Idiom
Point of View Point of view is a term that describes who tells a story, or through whose eyes we see the events of a narrative. The point of view in Malamud’s “The Magic Barrel” is third person limited. In the third person limited point of view, the narrator is not a character in the…
In Another Country – Literary Devices – Symbolism, Point of View & Irony
“In the fall the war was always there, but we did not go to it anymore.” So begins Ernest Hemingway’s short story, “In Another Country.” The war he refers to is World War I; the setting is Milan, away from the scene of the fighting. The narrator is a young American man who is in…
Flowering Judas – Symbolism – Literary Devices
Symbolism Symbolism is the most important stylistic feature of “Flowering Judas.” The most important thing to understand about Porter’s use of symbolism is that it is multi-faceted and ambiguous. Indeed, symbols that Porter employs often refer to one idea and also its opposite. The story’s central symbol, the flower from the Judas tree, is a…
The Princess Bride – Literary Devices – Parody – Symbolism
Parody The novel is part fairy tale, part fantasy, part adventure, and part romance, but it is all these things only with a twist. The author is familiar with these genres and is determined to parody them. A parody is a spoof in which something— a style, a genre—is imitated only to make fun of…
The Power and the Glory – Themes – Symbols
Catholicism The priest in The Power and the Glory finds his plans for escape foiled on several occasions because he feels that it is his responsibility to perform certain functions. Several times, for instance, he is asked to put his flight on hold because people need him to stay with them and hear their confessions….
Ivanhoe by Walter Scott: Symbolism & Foreshadowing
Symbolism One of the chief symbols in Ivanhoe is Front-deBoeuf’s castle at Torquilstone. The name of the castle derives from the word torque, which comes from the Latin word torquere, meaning ‘‘twist.’’ This word is also the origin of the word torture. Torquilstone symbolizes some of the major themes of the novel. It is a…