Alice Walker Everyday Use Symbolism

Symbolism in literature is using an object to portray a different, deeper meaning in a story. Symbols represent ideas or qualities that the author has maneuvered into his or her story that has meaning. There can be multiple symbols in a story or just one. It is up to the reader to interpret the meaning of the symbols and their significance to the story. While reading a story, symbols may not become clear until the very end, once the climax is over, and the falling action is covered. In William Faulkner’s, “A Rose for Emily,” there are multiple examples of symbolism that occur throughout the story.

Alice Walkers “Everyday Use”, is a story about a family of African Americans that are faced with moral issues involving what true inheritance is and who deserves it. Two sisters and two hand stitched quilts become the center of focus for this short story. Walker paints for us the most vivid representation through a third person perspective of family values and how people from the same environment and upbringing can become different types of people.

Symbolism is a major literary device that helps people see a book through symbols that often have a deeper meaning. A symbol is used to explain something in a different way, using images, objects, etc. instead of just saying it in words. As you search for a deeper meaning in a work of art or literature it can help you understand the author’s intentions and the deeper significance of a work. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, symbols help reinforce the major themes of the book.

Symbolism is a prominent part of many short stories. Within the stories “The Smile”, “The Chrysanthemums”, and “The Ones Who Walked Away From Omelas”, symbolism is heavily relied on to fully understand and comprehend each story. Although there are many literary devices used within the short stories, symbolism is predominantly used to develop and bring forth the message of each story.

In the novel “How to Read Literature like a Professor” the author, Thomas Foster, analyzed and broke down many literary techniques and reoccurring themes in literature. One of the most widely used literary techniques as shown in the novel was Symbolism. Symbolism is heavily used in literature from precipitation and weather to politics, almost everything we read in literature is a form of symbolism.

The two main obvious symbols in the story were the yard and the quilts. The yard represents freedom. Mama feels like there’s a whole other world outside where problems don’t exist. She compares the yard to the living room of a home, “It is like an extended living room,” (Walker 601). Her giving a description of the living room shows how comfortable she is inside of it, when in reality she’s describing the outside that is more enjoyable to her. Mama also mentions downtime, “Anyone can come and sit and look up into the elm tree and wait for the breezes that never come into the house,” (Walker 601). Feeling the breezes outside is usually how a person relaxes, Mama mentioning the breezes never reaching the inside of her home shows the nonexistent tranquility of the house. Throughout the story mama is proud of her ancestors and where she came from. Her being more comfortable outside shows her being set in her ways because outside is where the things her ancestors made are, like the churn top and the dasher. Mama doesn’t need to change because she feels free already. Last but not least the main conflict of the story happens inside the house when Dee tries to take the quilts. The quilts were also made by Mama’s ancestors so they were very special to her. Mama asked Dee what she would do with the quilts and Dee responded, “Hang them” (Walker 612). The quilt represents the family’s heritage being that

Many authors use symbolism to help their readers grasp the concepts they are trying to convey. They take concrete items or ideas to represent something abstract.

In “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, this short story characterizes not only the symbolism of heritage but also shows a difference in human character. The story reveals an African American family who lives in a small home and struggles financially, while it consists of a mother and her two daughters that are treated very differently from their mom. One of the daughter’s name is Dee, a well-educated woman, who struggles to understand her family’s heritage and is embarrassed by her family’s background. Maggie is the other sister who is kind, obedient and manages to appreciate her family. To represent the appreciation she provided for her family, the quilt is described as a powerful symbol to them. The quilts play an important role in depicting symbolism of heritage because they signify mama family origins. For instance, Dee's significant family members all have pieces of their fabric gown on to the quilts as a remembrance of who they were and their importance in the family. However, Dee does not see the quilts her ancestors made as valuable, handmade quilts should be passed down and taken care to keep their history alive. As for Maggie, Dee believes she can’t appreciate the quilt in the same way she can. “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts,” Dee responded. She thinks Maggie will use these quilts, so she can turn them into rags. Despite what Maggie concludes, the quilts for Maggie and mama are meaningful to them, because they were made by members of the Johnson family and have

Symbolism is the use of an object or a word to represent an abstract idea. It's often used by writers to represent a hidden message or a hint in a story. The short Stories " A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner and "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker are great examples of the use of symbolism. In "A Rose for Emily" Faulkner uses symbolism to create a Story about a woman called Emily whose life is surrounded by mysteries, especially after the death of her father and the disappearance of her beloved Homer. Falkner uses symbolism to hide several messages through the Story which, in my opinion, sounds very morbid as things happen. In "Everyday Use," Alice Walker symbolizes her messages through a beautiful detailed story where Mrs. Johnson also

In Chapter 12 from HTRLLP, the author describes in detail the usage of symbolism in different types of literature. Developing the information happens

In the book ‘How to read literature like a professor’ the author uses symbolism throughout the book. Foster uses this technique so he can use objects, and short stories to help the readers understand what is really going on without being blunt about it. Symbolism is using an object or word to represent an idea. This style of writing challenges the reader to use their imagination to really grasp what is really going on.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” (Dyer). Symbolism is a technique that helps add interest, create meaning and illustrate emotion in a story. The use of repeated symbolism is an example of how authors unify their writing in stories. Additionally, Symbolism adds a deeper level of meaning to passages written in literature. To some this symbolism is seen as a monotonous repetition that becomes mechanical at times. Authors do this by showing that one item is being represented by other items to help readers find a connection while they are reading. The short story The Scarlet Ibis, by James Hurst is a great example where symbolism is used as it depicts a troubling story where two brothers learn the importance of family.

Symbolism is a literary technique that is used to clarify the author's intent. Sometimes it is used to great effect, while other times it only seems to muddle the meaning of a passage. In "Young Goodman Brown," Nathaniel Hawthorne uses objects and people as symbols to allegorically reveal his message to the reader.

The literary world contains a vast collection of works, each employing diverse techniques in writing. One technique commonly found in literature is the use of images and symbols. Symbols are sometimes complex and contain both literal and figurative significance. Symbolism in literature is commonly used to bind the attributes of an object with various segments of a story to provide the reader with a deeper understanding and sometimes hidden meaning. In the short story, “A Rose for Emily” William Faulkner utilizes a vast collection of symbols, as a means to enhance the reader’s visual perceptions but also prompts consideration into theories of motive surrounding the murder of Homer Barron.

Alice Walker in an American novelist, short-story writer, and poet known for her famous novel The Color Purple. She has won both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. Her writings focus on multi-generational periods and inter-connecting black women in the North and the South. Although she is widely known for his novels, her short stories are equally spectacular. Walker is known for incorporating symbolism, imagery, and tone in her writing.