Andre Johnson Ms. Novo ELA Block #4 19 September 2024 “Martha Martha” Essay. Everyone has to buy a house at some point in their life, and most people would like the house that suits their preferences. Just like in the short story “Martha Martha” by Zadie Smith, Martha consults Pam for help getting a home. But for Martha, it is not only just about buying a new house, it is also about moving on to a new chapter of her life and having independence. Pam is a middle-aged woman who is an accountant for a real estate business. Martha is a young woman, searching for direction after straying from her path to true happiness, especially now that the two people she cherishes are no longer by her side. Zadie Smith uses imagery and symbolism to express …show more content…
For example,”‘I’ve been left some,’ said Martha quietly, ‘In a will. My uncle passed away. It’s enough for a year. A thousand a month, two bedrooms, and a garden, yeah? Maybe a bit more, maybe? I need space for people. To come.’ She paused. ‘If they want.’ Suddenly she seemed agitated, even panicked; she attacked her bottom lip with her teeth and looked up and over into the next garden, ‘People who might visit, you get me? But this is too big, I can’t afford it. I can’t. Don’t you have anything I can afford?” This quote symbolizes the house as a way to stabilize life and the sense of belonging she desperately seeks. This shows how Martha has a problem with her attitude and how she tries to cope with that emotional turmoil. Another powerful symbol is the photograph,as seen in, “Neither the picture nor their mutual beauty was marred by the fact that both had sellotaped their noses to their foreheads to give the impression of pigs’ snouts. Martha turned over the photograph and read what was written there.” “It took another five minutes to recover herself.”The photograph serves as a powerful symbol of Martha's past trauma. It hints at a significant loss or trauma that continues to affect her. This shows how Martha has a deep connection with her family and feels very upset and tries to cope with conflicting tension. Also, the recurring motif of snow symbolizes both stagnation and new beginnings. Martha saw some snow come flying”, “—these were bearded men, with dark, ashen skins—and the argument was over design, a snowman”, “They’re making a snowman” and “‘Grown men playing in the snow” picturizes the repetitive reference to snow. The snow symbolizes a new start that matches Martha’s mental state, but contrasts with her inability to move forward from her past. This shows how she wants a new fresh start, but she does not know that she is not able to move on