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Second Hand City Meaning

Decent Essays

”Second-hand City” (1993) Symbolic Analysis Through underlying meaning in simple passages, Maggie Hewitt describes a manifestation of a intrusive and manipulative force, which this seemingly ordinary couple is exposed to. The introductionary narrative is entirely descriptive, concerning their practical problems that follow their plans on moving to Oxfordshire. The wife seems to have difficulty with throwing out some of their belongings, where the husband responds, “Oh for God’s sake, you never look at them. Be decisive for once can’t you?”. The diction of the husbands expression is crucial in the metaphoric and symbolic understanding of following events. The reference to God is a sgnifacnt derivative toward the parallel connection that this story has with the biblical story. Furthermore, “it seemed like a good omen to be having such a clear out, she thought”. The word, ‘omen’ involves future events with discint good or evil characteristics, which figuratively stands apart from the ordinary nature of the plot. That indicates foreshadowing, concerning the subsequent events which unfold from clearing out their belongings. Additionally, “the strangeness of it all would bring them together, woulnt it?” empahsises the uncertainty …show more content…

“it was bad to hang onto things, unhealthy” descrbes how perhaps their old belongings represented some negative components of their past. Therefore, the examination of these belongings by a stranger, could emotionally intrude the couple. A sense of strangeness surrounds their following ppredicaments. “I can get a lot in that”, a statement about the interest the intruder had in obtaining some of their belonings. Based on the wifes previous statements, this stranger would be their solution, although the invasive nature of her motivation seems to put the wife, specifically, in a targeted ituation: “(…) your hair would look better with a fringe

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