Portions of what were once parts of the Wire Road were eventually paved and became stretches of route 66 in Missouri back in the late 1920’s, and later following what is now known as Interstate 44. Other portions heading down into Ft. Smith, Arkansas run along what is now known as Interstate 49. This collection of stories aren’t actually about the Old Wire Road itself, but rather about some of the legends, lore, and most importantly, the stories of many of the people who lived, fought and died during its long history and transformation. Whether tales of ancient times, the Civil War or the modern era, I find that it’s vital that we preserve not only the memory but the stories of our ancestor’s lives. Whether they be Black or White, Mexican, Asian or American Indian, these stories are important to us
"Shiloh" affords readers a glimpse into her portrayal of symbolic allusions, specifically through her references of the log cabin, the dust ruffle, and the battleground at Shiloh. One of the earliest symbolic references that the audience is knowledgeable of is the log cabin. The log cabin is mentioned quite commonly throughout the duration of the narrative, accentuating its importance. The cabin functions as an assortment of various symbolic interpretations during the course of the short story; the most ubiquitous referring to the state of Leroy and Norma Jean 's marriage. While Leroy believes the cabin to be some type of beacon of hope for his marriage, Norma Jean is skeptical of its existence and views it as unwanted and incongruous.
These men worked hard herding, branding, and tending to cattle from sun up until sun down. However, over the years the image of the cowboy has been blurred by media. Often times when someone thinks of cowboys they think of a vicious gunslinger who is always looking for a fight. In reality, many cowboys could not even afford a gun. Regardless, throughout Kelton’s novel, The Day the Cowboys Quit, he was able to effectively portray the correct speech patterns, distinguishing characteristics, and lifestyle of the Texas
In “Shiloh” Bobbie Ann Mason uses a great amount of symbolism with the birds, the battle, and the log cabin to describe the characterization and actions of Norma Jean, Leroy, and their marriage while they go through these
Have you ever heard of the story the “Drummer Boy of Shiloh?” If you have you know the story. If you haven't then you should read it it's a good story. This story was written by Ray Bradbury .
He keeps insisting to Norma Jean that, “I’m going to build you this house… I want to make you a real home,” he is clearly trying to fix the problems in his relationship by building a new home for the couple, proving he is still dedicated to Norma Jean (Mason, 1982, p. 6). He tries to persuade Norma Jean by appealing to her new love of body building saying, “You and me together could lift those logs. It’s just like lifting weights,” (Mason, 1982, p. 6). Laurie Champion (2001) says that Leroy, “Implicitly equates building a home and a stable marriage with physical exercise, body building,” essentially he is telling Norma Jean that they can still have a good marriage while she becomes more independent, she does not need to give up their relationship to be a successful woman.
Throughout the story Sonny’s Blue, there are many different symbols that represent different things, with the disparate functions. Light and darkness are the two universal symbols of Sonny’s Blues. Light has usually conveyed the goodness, hope, and purity of life. In the other hand, darkness performs for death, tragedy, and negativity.
It was said to be that, during the time the short story was published, many Americans were purchasing their first cars and hitting the highways to “see the U.S.A. in their Chevrolet.” In contrast, his yearning for the automobile implies the hollowness within his soul (Deginan). But before they start living together, Shiflet ran away to Mobile and abandons Lucynell (Short Stories for Students 125). Eventually, he admits that he always wanted a car, but he could not afford one due to his financial
Humans live in a world where moral values are very clearly set determining what is good and what is bad. We know what scares us and how racism should be treated. Nevertheless, this was not the case back in Alabama during the 1950s. In the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee narrates the lives of the people of Maycomb, Alabama, focusing on the story of Scout and Jem Finch, and the case of a said to be rape. In this emotion filled narrative, readers learn how life was back then not only in general, but for the separate social statuses that there was.
War is a time of desperation. Lives are lost, families destroyed, lifestyles and destinies are changed forever. Every selfish behavior and action is brought out, in an all out fight for life itself. Pat Carr, in her novella Leaving Gilead, follows Saranell, a young girl during the Civil War, as she, her mother, and their slave flee from the approaching war. They find in their small Arkansas community, countrymen, neighbors, and friends turn against each other when their own skin is threatened.
Both “Speaking of Courage” by Tim O’Brien and “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway use the townspeople as a symbol for how society treats soldiers. The authors show this symbolism by how the townspeople treat the soldiers, how the soldiers treat girls, and how the soldiers treat the townspeople over time. The symbolism in this story gives a message to the reader to treat soldiers with respect, and not just ignore them because their story is boring or uncomfortable. In “Soldier’s Home,” Krebs’ town is one which “has heard too many atrocity stories to be thrilled by actualities” (84).
The Nature of Symbolism within Trethewey’s “Elegy” In this poem “Elegy,” Natasha Trethewey depicts the relationship between herself and her late father by means of a metaphor that carries throughout the entire poem. We see that an elegy is typically used to lament the dead, however the abstract language of this poem sends a more demining message. This connotative thought is exactly what Trethewey chooses to address through subliminal metaphors equipped with items typically used to destroy rather than build, along with symbolism that alludes to fighting adversity.
The “Drummer boy of Shiloh” by Ray Bradbury is a short story telling an experience of a Union Drummer Boy. The mood shift of this piece is scared then determined, the tone is serious the whole way through. It was the year 1862, April 6th, Tennessee. The Civil War was in action, Joby, the drummer boy of the Battle of Shiloh witnesses one of the bloodiest wars in the Civil War. However, thanks to the young recruits from Iowa and Illinois the line held.
“The Village” by heavily accredited movie director M. Night Shyamalan is rich with symbolism and is a breath of fresh air for the horror and thriller movie genres. The themes and ideas presented in the film can be fascinating for all types of people. In Shyamalan’s “The Village”, several types of symbolism are used, such as the myth of “Those We Do Not Speak of”, Ivy’s blindness, and the colors to explain the overall theme of loss of innocence. The myth of the creatures, or “Those We Do Not Speak of” is represented in numerous different ways in several characters.
“A Streetcar Named Desire” is a very elegant film in which the Southern gothic culture is demonstrated profoundly. Tennessee Williams uses the characters in the play to bring about a sense of how corrupt society truly was in the 1940’s in the South. The 1940’s was marked by an immense amount of violence, alcoholism, and poverty. Women at the time were treated as objects rather than people. Throughout the play Tennessee Williams relates the aspects of Southern society to the characters in the play.
