Symbolism In 'Under The Persimmon Tree'

(AGG) Symbols are a part of people’s daily lives. The Sun is used to represent warmth, light, and happiness. Authors use symbols as well. The book “Under The Persimmon Tree” has symbol use. (BS-1) The author of UTPT uses the stars to give Najmah a superstitious belief, and give her hope and guidance to drive her towards her goals. (BS-2) The stars give Nusrat a scientific and religious belief, and the author uses them to connect her to her family, and give her hope and guidance. (BS-3) The author uses changes in the stars to convey events and changes in Najmah’s life. (TS) The stars portray how the characters are connected with their families, and how the stars guide, give hope, and religious meaning to the characters.

(MIP) Najmah

(SIP-A) The stars connect Nusrat to her family, in a way. (STEWE-1) She believes she can communicate to Faiz through the stars. “Faiz will be under those same stars,” (46). Nusrat thinks that since both she and Faiz are under the stars, they can send each other messages, in a way. (SIP-B) The author uses the stars to help Nusrat deal with loss, and part of this is because of Nusrat’s religious belief in the stars and universe.(STEWE-1) When Nusrat was a child, her sister Margaret had died. Nusrat had become very closed, and tried to block herself away from people. She eventually opened up to Faiz, and upon meeting him she converted to Islam. In her teachings, she had learned that Margaret was still out there in the universe somewhere. She has not quite learned to deal with Margaret’s death, but she has stopped worrying about it. (STEWE-2) Then, the stars appear again. Nusrat is looking up at the sky, and trying to find a message or sign that Faiz is alive. But, nothing is there. “But this night the stars and planets send back to her nothing but cold, brilliant light and silence...In that second she knows Faiz will not come back,” (220-221). The author had built Nusrat’s faith in the stars, and now reversed that faith to show that Faiz had died. The author has sent a sign that the stars do not always bring good news. They can convey messages that someone is dead, as well as that someone is alive. Later, Nusrat has a dream, and in her dream she is floating in space, with stars all around her. Then, Faiz and Margaret come up to her. This is another place where the author uses the stars. Here, Nusrat finally learns to accept the deaths of her loved ones. Faiz and Margaret eventually leave Nusrat, and go off into the stars again. The author has put the stars all around Nusrat to symbolize that Margaret and Faiz may be dead, but