Symbolism Of Imagery In 'Revealing Leah's Dawn'

First of all, through the use of the symbol of the warehouse, it demonstrates how one can accept their family and love them. At the story's beginning, Leah does not want to live; she wants to die. She is lying in her bed and her looking at her surroundings: "Dawn did not waken her, for dawn never came to this room, only a pale greenish light that slithered down from the roof of the old house and along the dripping mouldy wall of the warehouse next door." (109). This shows that the warehouse is blocking Leah's view of the outside world, depressing her room's atmosphere and making her want to die. The use of the warehouse symbolizes her wanting to die rather than be with her family and spend time. The author also uses visual imagery such as "Dawn

In the story, the construction workers accidentally break Jack's window. Leah wants to go outside and see what the construction workers are doing, but she left her coat upstairs, so "she noticed Jack's old army parka hanging on the kitchen door. She pulled it on; it was big but warm" (115). Her son's clothing represents the value of family love. Leah's wearing her son's jacket causes her to realize that she has a son that she does not remember loving, but by putting his jacket on, she remembers the warmth within him. Leah also has her shoes upstairs and wants to avoid getting them, so she decides to wear her granddaughter's boots, which are visible here: "Near the front door there was a pile of children's rubber boots. She'd always been proud of her little feet." (115). This here symbolizes her family and her desire to accept them once more. Putting on her family's items shows Leah the family she has been denying, but by putting on their items of clothing, she is releasing that she has family, and slowly, her heart is accepting them, increasing her love for her family. Not only that, but the author uses the word "child," which means innocence and freshness. In this case, Leah feels like wearing her grandchild's boots gives her a fresh start and makes her want to live more. Even the quote says, "she'd always been proud of her little feet," indicating that she is happy to wear her grandchildren's clothes. After wearing all the items, she goes outside. Leah goes around the corner and realizes the weather, "It wasn't really as cold as she'd expected." (115). This demonstrates that using her family member's clothes symbolizes the protection it brings within her. Not only that, but the clothes also represent the protection that causes her to forget about dying and want to live more, causing her to accept her family. Not only that but her wearing her