The Symbolism Of The Wind In Ann Petry's The Street

Ann Petry pens a stimulating expositional read in her 1946 novel, The Street. Running with the over-arching anticipated universal theme of vulnerability, Petry establishes Lutie Johnson’s relationship with the urban setting quite succinctly. Through her use of well-placed literary conventions, Ann Petry delivers a piece that will withstand the test of time.
Petry establishes the wind as a symbol of an attacker to foreshadow Lutie Johnson’s violent future. From the very first paragraph, the wind is written ripping through the street, doubling over the pedestrians against its force. The people on the street are meant to give the impression that they are bent over in pain, as if the wind has punched them in the gut. Described by the author as a “violent assault” (9), the wind is personified and given human characteristics to further understand the nature of the attack. As the wind whips through, it tears away the coats and scarves of the people, dispassionately exposing their bodies. The wind symbolizes a rapist. Having torn away the clothes from pedestrians on the street, the wind represents a sexual

It represents the apartment for which it is advertising, and the inhabitants that live within. Petry describes the sign as originally having a white coat. Often times, white is used to symbolize purity and innocence. Petry’s intent is to explain that the apartment used to be good. One could get away from the urbanity, and the home was a sanctuary. But like the sign, this characteristic has weathered away. Petry writes that the sign has a “dark red stain like blood” (55). The metaphor, comparing the stain to blood, is used to give further insight to the occupants and the state of the residence. The metaphor suggests a violent mentality, and a dangerous living space. The sign as a symbol thematically ties into skewed perception. The violence has taken over the innocence and purity of the household, yet this cannot be seen on a cursory