Symbolism in “Cats” and “Shiloh”

On this essay i will be talking about the symbolism in the story “ The Drummer Boy of Shiloh “. The story was about a little boy being a drummer for the army. The boy was an important piece to the army; he was the heart and soul of the army. The title of this book is “ The Drummer Boy of Shiloh “ ; the author of this story is Ray Bradbury,Genre Historical Fiction.

Often, an author uses figurative language to build upon the story and to create a more meaningful message. The text,“A Private Talk with Holly” uses symbolism to express the main idea that

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.

In The Garden of Stubborn Cats, the cats could symbolize a connection with nature in the past. The cats relate to an older generation because they remember a time before skyscrapers and huge cities. There are few people left from the older generations that get to share their story with others through their rare experiences. The rare race of cats that remember the past of nature and grass shared their story with Marcovaldo by letting him walk with them. The title of the story relates to the symbol of cats being like an older generation. The cats in the garden, refusing to let Marchesa sell her land, relate to the older generation because some want things to remain the same and be less complicated.

In this part, we will examine how Katherine Anne Porter used symbolism in her story. It can be said that symbolic things and actions in the story plays a very important role and builds the structure of the story. We mentioned about some symbolic actions in the first part and we will continue with symbolic stuffs she used in the story.Katherine Anne Porter’s novels and short stories have this symbolic and simple language and this can be counted as a unique feature of her in American literature. In The Norton Anthology of American Literature there is a definition about Porter’s language and the technique she uses in her novels and short stories :

What would society be like if we saw the world through a dog’s eyes? A black and white world, with no judging based on one’s pigmentation. A world where interactions between human beings were genuine and meaningful. A place where one’s skin color does not determine “goodness” or “badness” or make one better than, or worse than. A dog cannot simply distinguish the difference between a good human being and a bad one based on color, for which they only pay attention to how they are treated and the kindness shown from that individual. If dogs could figure this out, why can’t we? A short story written by Stephen Crane in 1893 portrays this mindset of society shortly after slavery was abolished in the United States. “A Dark-Brown Dog” is a

Great Authors use symbols to show an underlying deeper meaning in a story. In “To Room Nineteen”, Susan, a middle-aged woman, revolves her life around her family. Once Susan became pregnant, she quit her job as an advertising artist in order to dedicate her life to taking care of her children, becoming a stay at home mother. Once Susan’s youngest children go off to school for the first time, Susan begins to question her purpose in life. Susan begins to fall into a deep state of depression. Doris Lessing uses symbolism of the devil and a river to foreshadow Susan’s suicide.

“A Rose for Emily,” “A Worn Path,” and “The Lottery” by William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, and Shirley Jackson all have similar writing styles in their literature. In these three short stories the authors all use contrasting nature within their literature to predict the outcome and to learn for the upcoming events in the readings. The authors take subliminal phrases and subliminal symbolic text to have the reader become more attached and understand more of what the characters, setting and theme of the story has to offer. Using these three stories the reader of this essay will understand and grasp the symbolic meanings in text of each these short stories.

Bobbie Ann Mason uses symbolism in her story “Shiloh” to depict a marriage that is disintegrating. Mason uses many symbols in the story, to help the audience visualize what standing the couple’s ways of life are in. Whether it be an organ, a mother, drug use, or the city of Shiloh, most objects in the story have a symbolic meaning for the audience to decipher.

The Watsons Go To Birmingham -1963, written by Christopher Paul Curtis, is a humorous and touching piece of historical fiction. This book features the “Weird Watsons,” a family that lives in Flint, Michigan. Each chapter is a different story about Kenny and his life with his family. The Watsons Go To Birmingham -1963 is a historical fiction novel.

The kitten also has symbolic uses, adding to the message conveyed by Barton. Cats, historically are represented as intuitive and independent. Freely expressing themselves and not relying on other for comfort. With the kitten in Barton’s image, desperately clawing at the woman’s hand, and the woman holding the kitten close to her chest, it signifies the urgent attempt for the woman, or women in general, to pertain to sexual

First, let’s discuss the biggest simile that sticks out the most throughout the story, the log cabin. Mason writes about a log cabin that Leroy soon becomes obsessed and fixated with making for Norma Jean. The log cabin represents Leroy and Norma Jean’s marriage. For Leroy, the log cabin symbolizes the importance of a strong marriage, built on a solid foundation from the ground up by the man of the relationship. Although many times throughout the story, Norma Jean clearly tells him she isn’t interested in living in a cabin and hates the idea of it. It seems as if anytime Leroy is at a loss for words, he falls back to the log cabin conversation. Him clinging on and refusing to give up the idea of building the cabin for Norma Jean represents how he also won’t give up on his wife or marriage.

The narrative, “The Black Cat”, includes many symbols. The black cat is more than just the title; it is the legend, Pluto, that leads the narrator down the path toward insanity (“The Black Cat”). Pluto was the ruler of the underworld and the judge of the dead in classical mythology. This connection is not just an accident that Poe put together. A home is supposed to be a place where an individual feels safe and secure with or without others. Within this story, a home becomes a dark and tragic place, full of madness and murder. “I suffered myself to use intemperate language to my wife. At length, I even offered her personal violence” (Poe 719). The narrator turned on his pets before his wife; maybe the black cat and his wife was just too much for him to handle. The narrator kills the black cat, and then proceeds to kill his own wife. A couple in a home, would normally be happy and intact with a cat as a pet, but in this narrative, this household is not happy and healthy; his wife and pet become prey to his deteriorating mental state. Another symbol found in “The Black Cat”, is his wife; she could have been a hurtful or demanding force in his life. The narrator describes her as having “that humanity of feeling” (Poe 721). His wife at any point could have either saved him, herself, or both. She could have saved herself by running away from the alcohol-induced man. The symbols that were incorporated in this narrative made the narrator’s psychological state more comprehensible. The conflicts within this narrative were more easily understood because of the symbolism used, to tie the depressing narrative together.

The type of activities they choose are symbolic of their views in life. Leroy’s activities have him drawing in, seeing commonplace things in a new light. The arts and crafts he chooses to assemble have him examining the details of his life that he never notices before his accident: “...Leroy has grown to appreciate how things are put together. He has begun to realize that in all the years he was on the road he never took time to examine anything. He was always flying past scenery” (300). Since he has been compelled to slow down by the accident, he learns to gain an understanding of regular things in a new way. He is changing a little, he still explores, however, he finds Norma Jean’s new activities intimidating and he is trying to keep most things the same.

	The first black cat, the second black cat, and the white spot are the three most important symbols in this story. Each one of these symbols represents the evil and perverseness of the narrator. Black cat one let's the reader get a clear understanding of