The Significance Of The Weeds In 'Before Dying'

Throughout the story, the minister thinks of the future and how he will be received at his death. At one point he ponders about "his grave . . . whether the grass would ever grow on it" (164). One can interpret this as his fear of nature despising him. When in reality it is he who fears nature. Then, after he confesses in the

Irony in this story is a key to upcoming events that take place. The symbols of irony in this story all represent death in some way or another. The graveyard in the middle of a field, which had six graves and it, was a family graveyard. The Grandmother remembering the old plantation house with the six columns right after they passed through Tombsboro. The tower in which the family stopped to eat (Red Sammy’s) looked like a tomb. The car in which The Misfit drove looked lock a black hearse. The grave that The Misfit dug with the tip of his shoe while talking with the grandmother symbolizes the grave in which she is about to be put in. Finally the ditch in which the car runs into represents a grave because they cannot get out and will stay there in that hole in the ground.

One of the quotes that was obvious is the “Trees were of silver-white sunlight and the meanest of them sparkled”, what O’Connor was saying is that the” silver-white sunlight” (O’Connor p.679) is to be associated with heaven, but after examining further there are two possible meaning. For the first one, the trees could portray with the misfit as Jesus, or the second one the trees could portray with the Bailey’s family. It all depends upon how you interpret the word meanest in the quote that O’Connor has stated in the story. The sky represents the three variations of a single symbolic theme; that the sky represents a state of mind. As the Bailey’s family continue their journey they pass a large cotton field with six tombstones in the middle of a fence portion of the field (O’Connor p.679), that just happens to be the same number as the Bailey’s family. It fitting that the grandmother should notice how many graves there are. O’Connor is telling the reader that

For example, the first time death is symbolized in this story is when the family passes a graveyard. “They passed a large cotton field with five or six graves fenced in the middle of it, like a small island. ‘Look at the graveyard!’ the grandmother said, pointing it out. ‘That was the old FAMILY burying grounds.’” (99). O’Connor purposely mentions the specific number of graves, one grave for each person in the car. She also mentions that it was a “family” burying ground. This symbolism foreshadows that the family will soon face death. When the family is driving through the town, the grandmother remembers the old plantation is called “Toombsboro”. This plantation’s name is brought up to remind the reader of death. Toombsboro sounds like the tomb, symbolizing the family will soon face their tombs. Another description that is given to symbolize the deaths is that of the Misfits car. “It was a big black battered hearse-like automobile” (103). A hearse is a vehicle designed to carry coffins for funerals. This description also foreshadows the death of the family before the Misfit arrives. Lastly, the “woods, tall and dark and deep” (105) represent the family’s death. The woods symbolize the unknown and fear we have for death, which is considered dark and deep. The Grandmother stood in front of the woods reminding us that death is always near and behind us. Just like the woods, death can be a scary thing

In the beginning of the short story, as Brother reflects on Doodle’s life, the author uses personification and foreshadowing to create a mood of remorse. As he gazes out of the window into his backyard, Brother states that “the graveyard flowers were blooming. ...speaking softly the names of our dead” (Hurst 1). The flowers provide flashbacks of the past, and foreshadow a loss of life. The loneliness felt by Brother causes readers to consider how they would feel if their loved one was gone. As Brother observes the seasons, it is noted that “summer was dead but autumn had not yet been born” (Hurst 1). The personifications of the seasons as stages in the cycle of life and death creates an unsure and uncertain mood. The shift between seasons creates an idea of change and uncertainty of events to come. Hurst creates a mood of remorse through

The author also uses symbolism through the name of the characters. For example, Mr. Summers; the name “Summers” suggests that he is a cheerful man and to support this, he is described as a “round-faced, jovial man” with “time and energy to devote to civic activities” ; however, the true personality lying behind the name is the total opposite. On the other hand, the name Graves is the most obvious of all, the name relates to the place where corpses are buried, a strong indication of the participation of death in the story.

Albert Camus' devices and literary intelligence make it very clear that the melancholy of the town was to the extent that All Souls' Day was neglected. It is seen by a turning point, “But these familiar aspects of All Souls' Day could not make us forget that the cemeteries were left unvisited”. This turning point suggests that All Souls' Day did not occur as it was previously suggested through earlier devices, mainly due to the already prevalent grief towards the dead. Albert Camus' metaphors clearly clarifies this, “they (the dead) were no longer the forsaken to whom...you came to justify yourself” and “they (the dead) were intruders whom you would rather forget”.Also, these metaphors give insight to the attitude of the townspeople towards their dead, that the extended period of thinking and grief over their dead has caused them not

The setting is in a graveyard, as it mentions in the story ‘’bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard’’. This negative language creates a barren and colourless setting and nettles in particular are seen as unfavourable objects. ‘’overgrown with nettles’’ states that it was deceived and not looked after. In addition ‘’the dark flat wilderness’’ is used to describe the marshes part of the setting, this shows that it is dark there and it states that there is nobody

In ‘I kneel to pick frail melancholy flowers among ashes and loam’ a tone of loneliness and sadness is established as the persona enters. Harwood describes the violets as ‘frail’ and ‘melancholy’, terms that arn’t usually associated with flowers. This is also explored in the juxtaposition of ‘ashes’ and ‘loam’. Ash is symbolic of death and decay which contradicts the ‘loam’, symbolic of life and birth. The persona’s dark and unpleasant perceptions reveal their uncertainty and state of mind. The present tense indicates the persona’s adulthood and their sense of longing and unsatisfaction conveyed through the nostalgic delivery of

I found them growing on a grave, which bore no tombstone, nor other memorial of the dead man, save these ugly weeds, that have taken upon themselves to keep him in remembrance. They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him, and which he had done better to confess during his lifetime.' 'Perchance,' said Mr. Dimmesdale, 'he earnestly desired it, but could not.'" Chapter 10, pg. 120

First, Roethke uses a variety of natural imagery to illustrate the poor conditions of the root cellar. The imagery is extremely concrete, which is illustrated through the use of sensory language. By being “inside” the cellar, multiple senses are engaged, which ranges from smells, sights, and surfaces to touch. Roethke writes that there were a “congress of stinks” (6) and then proceeds to explain them as “roots ripe as old bait” (7) and “leaf-mold, manure, lime” (9); the sensory imagery here reveals that the root cellar is not only unpleasant to the eye, but the nose as well. Additionally, sensory imagery, such as the phrase “slippery planks” (9) reveals that one might not want to get too close to the scene. However poor the sensory experience may be for a human, life is persisting for the plants regardless. The plants are able to strive and continue to grow

hint of death within the abeyance of the forest. This is shown by the “half-drowned”

The weeds growing in the graveyard tied together the novel’s plot and themes because the weeds symbolized sin. Since Puritanism revolved around order, weeds contrasted with this idea because they are unkept and wild. If one is “free thinking,” or wild, Puritans may label one as a sinner and throw one in jail. “They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him, and which he had done better to confess during his lifetime.” (90) This shows that the dead person was a sinner and was consumed by his sins that he did not confess to. This relates to how Dimmesdale was consumed by his sin and guilt and

Given that many plants need to be sown and then reaped when fully grown, the metaphorical conceptualization of people as plants may, accordingly, be elaborated to include a reaper, more specifically a conceptualization of death as the Grim Reaper (Lakoff & Turner, 1989, pp. 16, 75):

In this quote the “coffins of black'; symbolize the chimneys (554). Ultimately this all symbolizes the boys’ death because of their terrible life cleaning chimneys at such a young age. In the next stanza an Angel comes “And he opened the coffins and set them all free,'; which symbolizes the boys’ death and escape to heaven. All of these symbols cause feelings of sympathy in the reader, hopefully causing them to want to help these children escape their fate.