The Glass Roses Analysis

There are many young individuals that struggle with their own identity and individuality. Many of them have a hard time coping to figure out who they are and want to be. When a parent is raising a child they teach them their own set of morals and beliefs. In the short story “The Glass Roses” written by Alden Nowlan it shows the struggles of a fifteen year old boy who is trying to live up to his father’s expectations to make him proud. Stephen’s partner, Leka, teaches him that it is important to be your own individual and not let anyone shape who you want to be by sculpting you own ideals and values. Stephen wants to have the choice to gain his own set of values and ideals that will steer his life showing that he has begun to find a path to

The stories Leka has told Stephen have really opened his eyes and mind to the idea of beauty which was something he has never considered before. Leka believes a real man is sensitive and expressive of his emotions. “There is not much room in the world for glass roses.” Initially, Stephen doesn’t see the value in something like glass roses. The reason Leka emphasizes the significance of the glass roses is to reinforce the idea that even though something is fragile it can still be valuable. This presents a huge shift in thinking for Stephen and places value on things that would not be helpful in his current environment. The connotation of the flowers alludes to beauty, delicacy, and love and they have a symbolic emphasis on the fact that they are fragile. Both the roses and Stephen are described with innocence. Stephen’s willingness to explore other perspectives and realize his own identity ultimately allows him to gain independence and make choices which reflect his personal truths. “When the Polack began to tremble and moan, Stephen hesitated for a long time before he reached out to wake him.” When Stephen’s father tells Stephen to stay away from Leka he decided to go against him by waking Leka up from his nightmares. Therefore, Stephen begins to realize the importance of his friendship with Leka. He is showing compassion towards Leka despite his father’s words. Therefore, When Stephen hesitates before waking up Leka it is a moment of internal conflict where he struggles to choose between following his own values/beliefs and giving into his father’s expectations. By waking Leka up, it becomes clear that he has decided to stay true to himself and that he has gained the ability to choose who he wants to