preview

Morley Callaghan Symbols

Better Essays

Books are the foundation of diverse characters and themes, though are often overlooked; a reader finds intrigue by the story rather than the meaning written between the lines of the written text. The author works feverishly to bring these ideas forward through the variety of literary devices, however the hard work put into the novel does not necessarily achieve recognition. The Loved and the Lost by Morley Callaghan contains effective use of literary devices to develop the characters morals, and their position in society concerning social status and societal isolation. The techniques that author skillfully uses include flashback, dialogue and symbolism. Flashback works to characterize and shape each character, while dialogue creates interactions …show more content…

Callaghan excels in using symbolism with his knowledge on both society and the understanding of what the images represent. Symbols work to break down a character and present their opinions on society to gain a better understanding of what the individual believes in. Peggy Sanderson is an advocate for change in the treatment of black culture and is constantly showing her respect for the group that others oppress. A symbol that best describes Peggy’s opinion is the river, which flows around the city of Montreal. It was “those who wanted a change who preferred the broad flowing river” (Callaghan 1), perfectly describing Peggy through the use of symbolism in nature. Peggy wants to see change in the world and her strive for change is like a river that is constantly flowing. Water in a river never stops and fresh water replaces it as it flows. Peggy never stops respecting the African-American culture and will always speak her mind on the subject, despite what others believe. Similar to the river, the mountain is also an important piece of symbolism in the text. Symbolism creates a representation of the societal mindset and the ways by which a society works. Segregation in the text is more than common and the isolation between groups is prominent. In Callaghan’s work, the white culture is racist and oppresses the black culture, remaining stuck in their oppressive ways. The belief that their ways should not change describes Catherine Carver, a young woman who has a divorce and engages in a romantic relationship with McAlpine. Catherine is the daughter of Mr. Carver, an aristocrat who is very set in his ways and does not believe in change, which he passes down to his daughter. In contrast to the river, the mountain represents Catherine and the overall white culture at the time. A mountain is firm and never moves nor does it change, which is why “those who wanted

Get Access