ipl-logo

Symbolism In Sherman Alexie's The Joy Luck Club

386 Words2 Pages

Symbolism is one of the many literary devices used in this novel to help emphasize the author’s main idea or central message.. The symbolism Sherman Alexie used was to emphasize his main message through basketball. At Wellpinit the reservation school basketball symbolized failure and doubt for Junior because he was always underestimated. Major changes were made once Junior decided to go to Reardan. Junior changed a lot since he went to Reardan Junior built up confidence and hope because, “Back on the rez, I was a decent player, I guess. A rebounder and a guy who could run up and down the floor without tripping. But something magical happened to me when I went to Reardan. Overnight, I became a good player. I suppose it had something to do with …show more content…

But in Reardan, my coach and the other players wanted me to be good. They needed me to be good. They expected me to be good. And so I became good” (180). Basketball symbolized hope and development basketball is what helps the author express his message or helps him develop his message. Without basketball and the support Junior received from the students and teachers at the school. The author would not have been able to use basketball to help lead Junior towards his purpose. In a critical essay an interviewer asks Sherman Alexie, “it's interesting that you mention that it [basketball] is as important as it is in inner-city black urban life, because as I was reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, I noticed a lot of similarities between the cultures, not only the emphasis on basketball but also motifs that appear in a lot of African-American fiction like racial profiling, marginalization and ghettoization” (James Mellis). James Mellis asks Sherman Alexie about basketball and why basketball is really emphasized in this novel. Basketball is really emphasized in this book because symbolism is used to communicate a message to readers and it was also helped to lead up to the main message. Without basketball being used to communicate the message to readers it would have been harder for Sherman Alexie to carry on the message of the book to

Show More
Related
292 Words | 2 Pages

My book is called Home Court it’s by Amar’e Stoudemire. Amar’e is the main character he is the one telling the story and they also call him STAT. Amar’e loves playing sports mostly basketball and skateboarding but, he also loves playing other sports. At the very beginning of the book, he was stressing out because he had a book report due soon and was also being pressured to play basketball. He didn’t really want to play basketball for a team because then, he would have no time for his other favorite sports or other things like homework, but he just didn't know how to tell his friends without letting them down.

Read More
590 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel boy21 by Matthew Quick, there was a character named Finley and one named Russ or Boy21, who both loved to play basketball, they also had a Coach who is sometimes helpful and sometimes really hard on them. To begin one reason Coach was helpful is, he supported Finley throughout his school career. Coach would push him and continued telling him to keep up the good work and during basketball practice, he would tell him to keep shooting no matter how many times he missed the shot. “Keep shooting, Coach says get all your misses out today” (Quick 128).

Read More
486 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams, Russell Thomas has shown again and again that he is a restless, ambitious person willing to do whatever it takes to reach his goal of getting a job as a nurse. This biography was written by Darcy Frey in 1991, showcasing the lives of four students from Lincoln High School who tried to make it out of the neglected Coney Island through basketball. Frey talked about the struggles of living in a community where violence was common, and where success was elusive for many. As a result of the problems of the deficient education system, family conflicts, and the adversities of college signings, basketball seemed like the only way to get out of poverty and despair, especially for people like Thomas. When Frey spots Thomas watching his friend Tchaka play

Read More
269 Words | 2 Pages

The literary devices that Amy Tan use in Joy Luck Club are motifs, symbolism that develop the theme of the Joy Luck Club. the theme of Joy Luck Club is cherish the little things you see this theme many times throughout the Joy Luck club. Amy tan use motifs in her work to the describe the theme of Joy Luck Club. one of the motifs are mothers and daughters not seeing eye to eye. Like when June and Suyuan Woo have an argument about playing the piano after the tellit show that she embarises her family at.

Read More
416 Words | 2 Pages

With the support of their families, William’s and Arthur’s motivation to accomplish this goal led them to fantastic high school basketball careers. From viewing the film, I found that I share William’s and Arthur’s determination. William, for his entire high school career, braved a 180 minute round trip commute to school and back. He spent three whole hours almost every day in transit to attend one

Read More
836 Words | 4 Pages

This story focuses on the actuality of young men who endure testing accusations, but there is always a way out, basketball, in this demonstration. This book takes place in the 1980s throughout the town of Harlem, New York. The author uncovers that Lonnie lives in the ran-down part of town and that

Read More
545 Words | 3 Pages

Their dad used to play in the NBA. Throughout the story, JB and his brother learned that it’s not always about winning. JB and his brother wanted to get better at basketball and so did their dad. Dad used to play for the lakers but his season ended early due to an injury. Mom wants dad to take care of himself and so does his sons but he doesn't listen and kind of lets go of his health.

Read More
634 Words | 3 Pages

Most importantly, he never gave up on his dream playing professional basketball. In his senior year, “Arthur led his team to win the 1991 public league championship. Therefore, it is clear that Arthur has a strong adaptability to adapt any kinds of situations in life, and this adaptability ultimately changed his life

Read More
276 Words | 2 Pages

In the book The Outsiders by S.E Hinton can be link to other forms of literature by symbolism and their meanings. The book can be connected to the poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost. In the poem Nothing Gold Can Stay, each line represents special symbolism in many places or characters of The Outsiders. In the first line of the poem “Nature’s first green is gold”there is more meaning than you think; the literal meaning is the start of the changing of seasons.

Read More
626 Words | 3 Pages

The novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian is not simply written. The author Sherman Alexie, uses several words like articulate, hormonal, and decrepit which displays that the novel could be read by people of all ages. This novel is wonderfully written so that people of every socioeconomic status can relate to real-world problems like poverty, racism, death and substance abuse. Alexie uses simple language to convey the thoughts that are actually inside people’s minds. For instance, in the first chapter of the book, the author introduces Arnold to the world (Alexie, 2007).

Read More
765 Words | 4 Pages

Giver Questions By Jai Amin Period 3 Chapters 6-15: 1. Why must Jonas start taking pills and when will he be able to stop? Why does this occur when it does? Jonas had to start taking pills to prevent and “cure” the “stirrings.”

Read More
563 Words | 3 Pages

Also as time is going on, he develops problems with Mtisha, with his new coach, with his teachers, his teammates, and his anger. Latimer’s, Slam’s new school, assistant coach, Goldy, looks after Slam, gives him helpful advuce, and keeps him out of trouble. When Mtisha and Slam are fighting, Slam has a mindset that he is just going to get over her but he is madly in love with her, so it doesn’t really work. When the author is narrating, he makes it so that whenever he writes about Slam’s basketball career, it is always practice or a game. And during the game between his old school and old team, and himself with his new team, things start to get

Read More
793 Words | 4 Pages

“Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.” Symbols can add a deeper meaning than just an object itself that the author is trying to make. Symbols can also foreshadow what is yet to come. The audience can interpret a symbol in many ways it depends on their experience. In Southside Chicago the Younger family is struggling to have hope as they are always facing society.

Read More
559 Words | 3 Pages

Edward Hirsch’s poem “Fast Break” has a lot of good use of sensory details, figurative language, and sound devices. This poem is about the fast break in basketball when players quickly bring the ball the other way at an unprepared defense. The subject of basketball is untraditional. “Fast Break” is the best poem ever. Hirsch utilizes good sensory details in “Fast Break”.

Read More
934 Words | 4 Pages

Of course, only Flick is able to imagine them as such, which tells how much Flick is rivetted in the past. Thus, the variety of uses of figurative language show the reader what is going on in Flick’s mind, and the reader sees that Flick is eluding into fantasies about former victories. Updike depicts Former athlete to the current gas station attendant, allowing the reader to sympathize with Flick’s partiality for reminiscing. Updike employs a number of words regularly linked with sports to imply the former athlete’s skill. Words such as “runs,” “bends,” “stops” and “cut off” (Updike) are strong action words often used to express actions in basketball.

Read More

More about Symbolism In Sherman Alexie's The Joy Luck Club

Related Topics

Open Document