ipl-logo

Symbolism In Beth E. Brant's Swimming Upstream

442 Words2 Pages

Beth E. Brant's "Swimming Upstream" uses a variety of symbols to explore complex issues such as addiction, trauma, and resilience in the lives of Native American communities. Her three key symbols used throughout the story are torn fins, alcohol, and water, representing different aspects of these themes and providing insight into the struggles and challenges the characters face. The torn fin, which is discovered on Anna May's son after he drowns, serves as a metaphor for the damage and trauma he has experienced in his life. The symbol represents the obstacles and challenges that he faced in his constant struggle against the forces that threatened to overwhelm him. The torn fin also highlights the physical and emotional harm that he suffered, representing the lasting impact of these …show more content…

Throughout the story, alcohol is depicted as a destructive force that has a negative impact on Anna May's life and relationships. Her addiction to alcohol is shown to be a major factor in the loss of her son and her difficulties in maintaining stable relationships. At the same time, alcohol represents a form of escape and coping, highlighting the ways in which addiction can serve as a response to trauma and difficulty. Water is used as a multi-layered symbol in the story, representing life and growth, as well as danger and uncertainty. Water is depicted as a source of vitality and renewal, essential for survival. However, it can also be life-taking, as shown by Anna May's son's death. The water serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by Native American communities, who have long fought to protect their lands and waters from exploitation and destruction. Water also represents change and transformation, highlighting the potential for growth and the challenges that arise along the

Show More
Related

Symbolism In One Foot In Eden By Ron Rash

1170 Words | 5 Pages

Ron Rash’s novel One Foot in Eden tells a story of murder in a small South Carolina town. However, this novel is more of “why-dunnit” as opposed to the much more common “who-dunnit”. Rash utilizes the viewpoints of multiple characters to tell the story; this feature aids the reader in gaining a more in-depth understanding of the novel. The setting and imagery of this novel also help shape the character’s minds and, therefore, their actions and reactions as well. One Foot in Eden is the epitome of the Southern Gothic novel: it portrays Southern culture and its shortcomings, and the effect that characters have one another.

Read More

National FFA Convention: Diana Nyad's Speech

319 Words | 2 Pages

The introduction of her speech was really detailed, she often correlated the obstacle in her swimming marathon to obstacles in life. She would use words to describe her journey through the treacherous ocean, and you could almost imagine the pain it took to swim. She would use metaphors to describe how the ocean was ruthless

Read More

Symbolism In Inside Out And Back Again By Thanhha Lai

956 Words | 4 Pages

Inside out and back again by Thanhha Lai is a work of historical fiction. First, Ha and her family were forced to flee their home country of Vietnam due to war. They have to face this hardship and without the support of their father, who was kidnapped by the Communists and disappeared. Then, they travel on a boat in unsanitary and awful conditions to refugee camp in Guam. Next, they are sponsored by a man they called ‘’cowboy’’ and and taken to live with him in Alabama.

Read More

Explain Why Winnie Should Not Have Drunk The Water

243 Words | 1 Pages

So then for winnie might be sad that all of her family died and she will still keep living forever. Then, another reason she shouldn’t have drunk the water is because she would

Read More

Symbolism In Sing, Unburied, Sing By Jesmyn Ward

1046 Words | 5 Pages

In the book, we follow the mind of a 13-year-old boy named Jojo, a drug addict mother named Leonie, and a ghost of a child named Richie. Throughout the book, we learn about the many characters and their pasts. Jojo, his little sister Kayla, Leonie, and her friend Misty go to Parchman jail to pick up Micheal, Leonie’s boyfriend. Parchman is known for their harsh treatment towards prisoners and this is where Richie died. During this ride from the prison to back home, we learn about the secrets the family keeps from each other and about past events that connect to current events.

Read More

Paradox In The Things They Carried

992 Words | 4 Pages

The story also shows humanity that Rat Kiley still holds onto as he cries walking away. The story of the water

Read More

Symbolism In 'Crabbe' By William Bell

1041 Words | 5 Pages

Crabbe is a novel by William Bell, where Crabbe, an alcoholic teenager, is so troubled by the people around him that he feels his only chance is to flee. Bell uses extreme amounts of symbolism to add extra depth to the plot, without directly affecting it. Crabbe has a problem with alcohol, as seen in the main plotline, but if one were to look at the symbolism provided by Bell, a greater understanding of what he truly meant will arise. The main symbols in the novel ( at least the excerpt) are those that define hypocriticism, less dominant ones that convey irony, and random symbols scattered throughout Bell’s work that provide situational symbolization. Symbols are images and ideas that add a secondary level of detail to the work, but do not

Read More

Autumn Peltier: Anishinaabe Water Rights Activist

660 Words | 3 Pages

Her job is to provide water for poor indigenous communities. Autumn Peltier has been campaigning for the right to fresh water since she was 8 years old and helps ensure that everyone has access to clean water. She began advocating for the earth’s right to clean drinking water at a very early age, raising awareness towards water rights and ensuring communities have access to clean, safe and reliable drinking water. Peltier was appointed as the Anishinabek Nation chief water commissioner in Canada following the death of her great-aunt, Josephine Mandamin, who had been the previous Chief Water Commissioner. By the age of eight, Peltier was attending water ceremonies on First Nation reserves.

Read More

What Is The Theme Of The Water Was Dark By Tim Winton

899 Words | 4 Pages

‘The water was dark’ concludes a young girl how’s love for swimming helps her escape her incapable, depressive mother. “Maybe that’s why I started swimming, she thought, to stop her from drowning me” is the thought process the young girl has. The meaning behind this is that instead of drowning by her mothers comments and habits, she found another world through swimming to have somewhere to go when she found herself slipping away. When she realises that “she didn’t love it (swimming) the way the others did, she knew she couldn’t be without it,” we figure that the reason she couldn’t be without it is because of how she uses swimming as an escape goat from life. She loves swimming for a different reason for others; others do swimming because they love the sport and to stay fit, she swims for the way it makes you feel and the fact that when you swim, you only think about your style, breathing and technique, you don’t have room to think of anything

Read More

Guadalupe Nettel's View On The Life Of The Betta Fish

872 Words | 4 Pages

With the wife also displaying similar brown lines on her body, the comparison between the fish and the wife is shown with a sense of similar feelings of distress in their current situations. The narrator is able to feel sympathy towards the female fish because she can sense her fear of being cornered and a need to hide herself from the male. Just like the female fish, the narrator is going through a similar situation with her husband, in that the narrator felt belittled by her husband and a need to hide herself from him when he would be in one of his moods. For example, the birth of their daughter, they had different views on childbirth. The wife wanted to do a water birth because she heard it was a better for the baby, but she didn't argue for it because she

Read More

The Theme Of Conflict In 'Swimming Upstream' By Joseph Boyden

616 Words | 3 Pages

Anna May lost her son, Simon, when he drowned on a fishing trip with her ex-husband, Tony. Every night since, she welcomed dreams that were once nightmares of her son’s death. Her dreams are the crippling hold of the past that refuses to let go, reminding her of her loss every day. During Anna May’s trip away from home, she begins to develop guilt as she thought about all she could have done to prevent Simon’s death, which becomes evident when she states, “she should have placated Tony; she should have lived alone; she should have pretended to be straight she should have never became an alcoholic; she should have never loved; she should have never been born. Let go!

Read More

Symbolism In Toni Cade Bambara's The Lesson

1200 Words | 5 Pages

Symbolism is a standout amongst the most vital scholarly terms utilized frequently by numerous authors to pass on their focal thought. As indicated by the Longman Contemporary Dictionary, Symbolism can be characterized as a gadget that brings out more than an exacting importance from a man, question, picture or word. Symbolism plays a big factor in this story. The significance of Mrs. Moore trip with the kids to FAO Schwartz is caught in Bambara's utilization of Symbolism. The youngsters took a gander at various elite toys outside the store.

Read More

Symbolism In Cynthia Ozick's 'The Shawl'

1180 Words | 5 Pages

Take a second and imagine, imagine yourself being starved, tortured, and enslaved. What would you do to save your children and yourself? In Cynthia Ozick's story “The Shawl” we meet Rosa and her two daughters Stella, who is fourteen, and Magda an infant who is being concealed, on their grueling march to a concentration camp. The Nazi’s are unaware of Magda’s existence due to Rosa hiding her under the shawl as they are marching. Rosa is faced with the difficulty of keeping her daughters alive, while trying to survive herself.

Read More

Symbolism In Marigolds By Eugenia Collier

660 Words | 3 Pages

In her short story “Marigolds”, Eugenia Collier, tells the story of a young woman named Lizabeth growing up in rural Maryland during the Depression. Lizabeth is on the verge of becoming an adult, but one moment suddenly makes her feel more woman than child and has an impact on the rest of her life. Through her use of diction, point of view, and symbolism, Eugenia Collier develops the theme that people can create beauty in their lives even in the poorest of situations. Through her use of the stylistic device diction, Eugenia Collier is able to describe to the reader the beauty of the marigolds compared to the drab and dusty town the story is set in.

Read More

Symbolism In 'The Oyster' By Anton Chekhov

1205 Words | 5 Pages

The “Oyster” originally written by Anton Chekhov in 1884 essentially emphasizes massive inequalities, brutal discriminations, and severe prejudices through the disparity between the aristocracy and the proletariat in which as well juxtaposes between civilization and survival. The symbolism of oyster exemplifies innocence, virginity, and youth’s attributes which shown through protagonist’s, an anonymous boy, illiterate action toward the aristocratic society. The setting has already created a stereotypical thought for the readers indicating pathetic life in street versus suave life in city. Undoubtedly, there is a variation of social hierarchies therefore various people are nurtured in different conceptualizations particularly on both perspectives

Read More

More about Symbolism In Beth E. Brant's Swimming Upstream

Open Document