Symbolism In Blue Against White Armstrong

What is home? By definition, it is the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household. However, each individual has a different interpretation of what home means to them. In Blue Against White by Jeanette C. Armstrong the author uses different representations of what home is to the protagonist Lena. Armstrong uses a blue door as a symbol of home for Lena as her house was the only house in the neighbourhood that had a coloured door which made it stand out. As time went on Lena spent time in the city where she felt like an outcast due to her Indigenous roots. She felt like the blue door and stood out which was a feeling she didn’t favour at the time. When she finally returned home she felt safe and comfortable.

This can be provided by loved ones. These individuals make you feel loved, secure, and content. During Lena’s time in the city, she would always reflect and reminisce about her childhood. She would recall home and the first thing that would come to her mind is the blue door and memories of her mom. Armstrong states “Behind that door, warm smells and laughter mixed into a distinct impression of the way it was back home. Her mother, Long braids tied together in the back, smiled at her from behind that door.” illustrating Lena’s relationship reminded her of home (Armstrong 240). Lena

They are often stereotyped as loud, angry, troublemaking individuals however, the only time they get publicized is whenever they do something wrong. This creates a feeling of not belonging and not feeling at home. During the duration that Lena was in the city, she noticed that her people are always associated with negative titles. She uses a coyote as a symbol of how they are treated unjustly. Armstrong states, “She thought of the coyotes hanging around in the cities these days. Nobody wanted them there, so nobody made friends with them, but once in a while, they made the papers when they did something wrong or showed up, trotting along Broadway, cool as could be.” enhancing that this ideology doesn’t allow them to feel that they belong (242). They don’t feel safe and that they belong. An individual needs to feel safe and that they belong to feel a sense of