Symbolism In The Lamp At Noon

In times of turmoil, the human spirit is tested in profound ways. The conflicts of life give way to experiences that reveal reality and the insignificance of man. When dictated by nature and stranded in isolation, identity and self-preservation begins to blur. Opportunities become feeble and sacrifices get made. There is a point, however, where the surrenders no longer fix, but destroy. The struggle is finding out where that line is. “The Lamp at Noon” by Sinclair Ross tells the story of a tense relationship between Paul and Ellen, not only due to the differences in human experiences and the sacrifices made, but as well as the life of man defied by the existence of nature. The short story is layered with symbolism and descriptive personification,

Sinclair Ross commonly uses symbolism and allusion to outline and portray his writing, and “The Lamp at Noon” is no exception. The title of this work refers to the need of Ellen having to light a lamp, despite it being midday, because of the aggressive fog that has completely entrapped their house. “The dust was thickening to an impenetrable fog. She lit the lamp, then for a long time stood at the window motionless.” (pg. 26) The title of this story, and the action of Ellen having to light the lamp, represents both hope and hopelessness. The symbol of hope comes from the act of lighting the lamp as a defiant, rebellious action against the storm as a way to achieve some reprieve from the terror of mother nature. The hopelessness, which then smothers the hope, is represented by the need to light the lamp in the first place. This action is an insignificant means to tame the untamable, highlighting human triviality. Ellen does point out the absurdity of having to do such a thing to her husband Paul, “look at it - look at it, you

The Wars focuses on the experience of war and the sacrifices of being a leader, which compares well to the experience of living on the prairies and the sacrifices made in “The Lamp at Noon”. The symbols used in both of these writings follow the same use of nature. Ross's use revolves around wind, while Findley utilizes the sound of birds and the blankness of snow. The symbols are each used to represent tone, theme, and plot points in their stories. Another important idea of both stories that connect to each other is sacrifice. Robert must make the choices to protect his men, sacrificing his preservation and mental fortitude to ensure the safety of other soldiers. Paul and Ellen have sacrificed their safety and young exhilaration to live a life on the farm. Despite being sacrifices of different means, the general meaning and consequences are the same. All the characters have lost the passion of youth and life. The final similarity comes from what happens at the end of each piece of work. The character Robert is left reeling emotionally after instinctually shooting an innocent German Solar and experiences shock. Ellen goes through a similar experience after running away from the farm during the wind storm and having her baby die in her arms. She too is in shock over a death. These two works, despite one being a novel and one a short