Symbolism In The Other Side

In life, people can face the problem of relationships; times when people are a relationship that is mentally or physically abusive, when they fight with others they know well, or maybe even when people sever ties to people they had known for a long time! Other times though, the relationship between people can be as strong as steel. The latter is prevalent in “The Other Side” by Jacqueline Woodson, in which a lonely girl named Clover finds a friend in a girl named Annie, who lives on the other side of the fence that separates the two. In this short story, the author uses symbolism and revealing actions to display the girls’ strong friendship, and this is shown through the fence, which symbolizes the segregation between the two races and the two girls(but ironically brings them together). This is also shown through Clover’s actions, which reveals that she has a bond with Annie.

The symbol that is being shown here is the fence, which divides the people by race. This is shown when the text articulates, “That summer the fence that stretched through our town seemed bigger. … White people lived on the other. And Mama said, "Don't climb over that fence when you play." She said it wasn't safe.” This is significant because it displays the fact that the two races, white and African-American, are being separated. Later though, the symbol that was supposed to state the laws of segregation does in fact the opposite, as it ironically brings the girls together. This is shown this is, “That summer me and Annie sat together on that fence.” This is noteworthy because it shows the two girls using a symbol of division and segregation as a symbol of unity and