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An Analysis Of Symbolism In Herbal By Nalo Hopkinson

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“Herbal” by Nalo Hopkinson can be interpreted in many ways. Some readers may presume that the story talks about anxiety and depression, while others say it is about drugs and possibly abuse. I believe that the story is about the main character, Jenny, and her life with an abusive partner. The story shows that a victim in an abusive relationship will always have feelings for their partner, even when the partner is no longer in his or hers life. There 's always that desire for the abusive partner because our human nature is to desire and be desired by someone.Even though the need to be with that special someone is toxic,there is always that need for the relationship. Our need to feel wanted by someone may lead us to some dark paths,and for Jenny,she is on a bad path. …show more content…

At one point in the story she describes how she sees an elephant in her apartment with dry ski. Obviously there isn’t an actual elephant in her appartment. She uses this imagery to describe her partner, so the elephant is not an actual elephant but is used more as a metaphor. When Jenny describes the elephant as having dry skin, she is saying that her partner is angry. The lotion is a symbol of conflict resolution and love. Jenny wants to apply lotion on the elephant, ashe wants to love the elephant, she wants to fix the broken relationship. She can’t speak with the elephant because it is angry and going through rampage breaking stuff in her apartment. For the elephant, the only way to deal with the situation is to be angry. The elephant is abusive, Hopkinson describes the elephant hitting her with her trunk and making her fly into the wall. I see this as the partner punching or pushing Jenny into the wall. Which is something that he should not be

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