Symbols In Plainsong By Kent Haruf

In the novel “Plainsong”, Kent Haruf uses the motifs of wounds, losing mothers, and learning to handle hard truths to show how Ike and Bobby move towards the life-affirming embrace of a healthy community in Holt and learning from the lessons that life throws at them. Ike and bobby’s beginning state of moving towards the life firming embrace is demonstrated through the motif of “Losing mothers” in the story. The “losing a mother” motif is a recurring image in the story and especially with Ike and Bobby. Ike and Bobby's experience losing 2 mothers or mother-like figures, their mother Ella and Mrs. Stearns. Ike and Bobby are first encountered with the motif when their mother was sick and left for Denver. When Ella was sick the boys barely

The “Wound” motif helps the boys learn from their mistakes and help them grow up through their childhood. The major wounds the boys take up first is when Russ Beckmann beat them and made them take their clothes off. The boys were scarred mentally and physically but the boys didn't want to tell their father about it. They tried to hide it. That wound leads to Guthrie fighting the whole Beckmann family and showing the boys to stand up for what's right. Mental wounds are very reoccurring to Ike and Bobby especially with seeing the death of their horse. When the autopsy is getting prepared to happen for the horse, Guthrie questions the boys and tells them he “doesn't think you want to watch this.’( page 443). Guthrie’ attempts to not let the boys didn't stop them. It was important for the Boys to experience the death of something they love for the first time and in general death

But Victoria believes in the boys that she “knows they'll take good care of her”(page 600). Victoria Displayed the trust of a life-affirming community that the boys are a part of. The next scene spans out and it describes the bright spring scene and the 2 boys taking care of the baby. This scene draws a huge comparison through Ike and Bobby to the Mcpheron Brothers. Through the demonstrated motifs in the story of losing mothers, wounds, and handling the truth, the Mcpheron Brothers followed many of those motifs earlier in their life just like Ike and Bobby. The Mcpheron’s lost both their parents and motherless at a young age which is similar to Ike and Bobby. From the Mcpheron’s state in the ending and throughout the book they were able to handle their hard truths at a young age and they developed themselves into a healthy, life- affirming community with Victoria. Through the motifs and other relating characters, Ike and Bobby were able to move to a life-affirming embrace of a healthy community by caring for the baby and leaving their past