Symbolism In Christina Baker Kline's Orphan Train

“The Boat” written by Alistair MacLeod tells a story about a father’s life and how he lived as a fisherman. The narrator is an adult man who looks back on his life of when his father was still living because even though he got a university education, he now wants the life his father had. He expresses how his father always wanted him to become something bigger and better then what he became. The author, Alistair MacLeod, used many different writing techniques within this short story. The symbolism of “The Boat” expresses inevitability through the little hobbies the father/husband does through his boring routine life, obligation through the father/husband’s commitment as a fisherman to provide for his family, and imprisonment through his

For Vivian, she wears the Claddagh necklace that was given to her by her grandmother before Vivian and her family left Ireland and leaving behind her extended family. For Molly, she wears the three charm necklace that her father provided her as a way of identifying who she is.

Upon starting Joseph Boyden's Three Day Road it may seem to the reader that the train taking Xavier and Elijah from their home in the Ontario bush serves as a far more linear, and highly Western rejection of the circle, the narrative structure and aboriginal perspective that defines the novel. The train makes its first

In Orphan Train, Christina Baker Kline weaves a strong friendship between two characters, Vivian and Molly, despite a lengthy list of differences. The most blatant contrast, and the root cause of many other differences, is age and the separate eras both Vivian and Molly grow up in. In the span of her life, Vivian Nielsen, a ninety-one year old widow, experiences the Great Depression, World War II, and a technology boom impossible to keep up with. On the other hand, Molly Ayer is a sixteen year old tech-savvy foster child who uses “her Goth persona like armor” against an unsympathetic society (Kline 4). Another dissimilarity is ethnicity. Vivian is a first generation Irish immigrant and in being a Penobscot Native American Indian, Molly is unable to be more different than Vivian. While these differences seem apparent, the

In this world their many deceptive people and they are not always what they seem. This deception stand out in many new relationships. Many individuals are going to make up lies to get what they want, and for many young girls being naive and young makes them believe everything until the end, when they find all the truth, but sometimes the truth is revealed too late.

The caramel rebozo is referred to a “Mexican shawl.” () Throughout the story, the one item that Soledad and Celaya admire so much is this Carmelo rebozo. This rebozo is one that Soledad’s mother was working on before she died. Her mother never got a chance to finish the shawl, but it was given to Soledad. Celaya always wanted the rebozo for herself, and when her father tries to buy her a silk shawl, the evil grandmother says that there is no way a girl like Celaya will ever appreciate such a beautiful shawl. But, when the grandmother passes away, the rebozo is passed down to Celaya, and she treasures this item just as her grandmother did. In the novel Caramelo, by Sandra Cisneros, Cisneros utilizes the symbols of the caramelo rebozo in order to signify destiny, truth and lies, and fights to show the family and its members’ relationships and traditions. Cisneros uses each of these significances in order to show multiple people and events describe a theme. The caramelo rebozo is one of the most important symbols of the novel. It not only ties itself to the theme of security, safety, and leadership, but also to the other symbols presented.

An example of how her family values each other is her description of the conventions and norms of her family. They are thoroughly supportive of one another, attending every graduation, baby shower, birthday, and house warming party. Her father and siblings have burial plots together so that they are never separated. Life is lived with everyone being connected and concerned for not only each person’s well-being, but happiness as well. She says her “relatives form an alliance that represents a genuine and enduring love of family…”

In order to be happy, people must have a purpose in life. This theme is demonstrated through both symbolism and mood in the passages “Andy Lovell” by T.S. Arthur and “The Song of the Old Mother” by William Butler Yeats. Through these literary devices, the authors show that by not following your passion, you will eventually become miserable. Because of their powerful words, the reader gets a firm grasp on the importance of objectives in life.

Orphan trains and Carlisle and the ways people from the past undermined the minorities and children of America. The film "The orphan Trains" tells us the story of children who were taken from the streets of New York City and put on trains to rural America. A traffic in immigrant children were developed and droves of them teamed the streets of New York (A People's History of the United States 1492-present, 260). The streets of NYC were dirty, overcrowded, and dangerous. Just as street gangs had female auxiliaries, they also had farm leagues for children (These are the Good Old Days, 19). During the time of the late 1800's and early 1900's many people were trying to help children. Progressive reformers, often called

Readers who share this same sense of home may be touched be the way Didion connects with them through her use of description. While she does not directly relate her point to the audience it is clearly present. Each element in the essay highlights not only the sense of family that is there but how they influence a person’s perspective and attitude. While one shares in her journey through her past and her visits with her family it brings to mind how one may or may not have this same sense of family to pass on to their family or even have it themselves. This point is summoned in the closing paragraph when Didion herself reflects on this thought.

Every person has on object in their life that is very precious to the, for me, it is my pearl necklace. They are small and round and a lustrous cream color with a pink sheen. They have a tiny gold clasp that holds the necklace together. My pearls tell a story than no other personal artifact can: my heritage. The pearls symbolized tradition and womanhood in my family’s life, and they were to be worn with dignity and pride. Every holiday, the girls of the family accessorized their outfits with the pearls given by our grandmother. They were something we all had in common: the thread that linked our generations together. I recall looking down at my Nana’s casket and I could almost hear her voice whispering

The most obvious symbol used in A Streetcar Named Desire is its title and the actual reference, in the play, to the streetcars named Desire and Cemeteries. They are the means by which Blanche was brought to the home of Stanley and Stella and, as the play unfolds, we realize the names of the streetcars have a greater significance. Blanche's instructions were to “take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries." When Blanche first arrives she is possessed by a desire for love and understanding, but always in the background lurks the fear of death and destruction. If the one cannot be obtained, a transfer to the other will be the inevitable alternative. Blanche indicates this in her speech to Mitch in scene

Everything has a symbolization for the people its representing. In A Street Car Named Desire there are certain colors that represent certain characters, and the colors that connect to the characters are white to Blanche, a main character and green to Stanley another main character. Blanche is always described as wearing the color white which means purity even though she isn't pure. Throughout this story Blanche only wants one thing and that is to be with a man who wants to have a relationship with her and accept her for who she is no matter how old she is. Even though Blanche wants a stable relationship there are many things that get in the way of her having it.

The Orphan Train movement provided many children with homes during a very difficult time. Many of these children were loved and treated very well, but many were not. Many children were separated from parents and siblings for the remainder of their

Lastly, a loving family helps teach you about your heritage and culture, this helps create a sense of belonging. Amabelle’s adoptive family was Dominican and she was Haitian. When Amabelle’s adoptive family would celebrate a traditional Spanish occasion they would bring Amabelle along but she always knew that she wasn’t wanted. These celebrations would emphasize the importance of family. Amabelle would feel left out because she was Haitian and had a darker skin color then her adoptive family. When other relatives would come they would treat her like she was the maid. Amabelle meets a Haitian fortune teller who becomes a motherly figure for her. She helped teach Amabelle about traditional Haitian activities like voodoo. In this quote Amabelle speaks on how she