Symbolism In Jose Burciaga's La Puerta

There are some books that you look at and you read but that’s it, there’s nothing more for the book to offer. Although, sometimes those books that seem the simplest, or even short stories, can actually have much greater meaning to them that goes farther in than could ever be imagined. Skilled writers do this through various methods using rhetorical devices and by adding hidden meanings to even the smallest of details that are easily missed by an untrained eye. One of these pieces of literature would be Bess by Jayne Anne Phillips, a very short story that when read gives off an odd vibe but nothing more, at least until further analyzed. In this short story, the author is able to effectively construct a masterpiece of literature by breaking down

Rodriguez’s parents emphasize a large separation of their Mexican heritage from that of “los gringos.” The family speaks Spanish to each other, and the transition to speaking English symbolizes that person being spoken to is an outsider, not one to be trusted, an “Americano.” The language of Spanish, therefore, is a symbol of trust, acceptance, as being part of the family. When “Ricardo” gives up Spanish for English, although he is urged to do so by his parents, he feels he is betraying his family for “los gringos.”

Symbolism, Imagery, and Theme Compared Through the Stories “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Scarlet Ibis”

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.

What goes through your mind when you read? Do you read deliberately, looking for certain aspects, or do you read as a blank slate? When reading, professors expect a deliberateness that will help you to uncover meanings that are not readily apparent. Thomas C. Foster in his book “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” expands on this concept. He endeavors to instruct his readers in the way he believes they should read, in order to get the most out of each book. He concedes that, “When lay readers encounter a fictive text, they focus, as they should, on the story and the characters” but to truly read like a professor you must also divert a portion of your attention on

authors stories can have a different meaning than what the author had intended for it to have. In

In Thomas Foster’s book, “How to Read Literature Like a Professor,” readers learn how to look past the surface of a literary work to find a deeper or hidden meaning. Writers use devices, such as symbolism, imagery, foreshadowing, irony and allusion to reveal these meanings. If these are overlooked, important aspects of the story can be lost. One literary device that Foster emphasizes in his book is allusion. Every story has elements of another story, and Foster devotes Chapters Four through Seven explaining the meaning of allusion in works by Shakespeare, the Bible, and fairy tales.

In a story there are many things that come together to form a story that we can all relate too with the setting and any given symbol in the story allowing us to relate too as the reader. In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, a story that takes place in the summer where the flowers are blossoming and the grass is bright green painting a story of life and prosperity and by the end the story takes a dark and mysterious turn. “Hunters in the Snow” by Tobias Wolff, a story of three men who are on there way to a hunting trip mid winter where the snow is falling and the heater in the truck is not running, though out the story there selfish attitudes changes the lives around them. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates, A fifteen year old girl named Connie egger to be older, and gets herself a stalker by placing her self in a dinner, Arnold Friend represents evil in the foot steps of her house.

Readers have to look at characters and their actions in order to reach the true heart of

On the surface, Fuentes' Aura is a very strange and eerie book. It draws you in and keeps you there, forcing you to read the book to its very end. Just below the surface, a world of symbolism, words and parallels lead to a greater understanding of what is happening throughout this captivating tale.

There are many components involved when analyzing a short story such as, main characters, point of view, plot, theme, and setting. Sometimes the answer is in black and white and other times it takes critical thinking to come up with a response. Some short stories have an important real life lesson while others are simply easy to relate to. Symbolism also plays a role in short stories by giving an event, object, or words being said a deeper meaning than the surface that brings importance to the story. “The Fat Girl” by Andre Dubus, “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich, and “An Ounce of Cure” by Alice Munro are stories that contain most of the components of analyzing short stories.

6 “meaning” that the author wants to illustrate: it doesn’t have to be as preachy as a moral or a lesson. It can just be the point of the story or the dominant impression we take away from our reading.

The author depicts the differences between how the child understands the story. A child that consciously views the story knows and could tell about the real meaning or hidden message of the story while a child that unconsciously views the narration could not tell about what happened in the story because they do not grasp the full message intended to be taken away from the

What is the point of any piece of great literature? Or rather, what is great literature? Some would say that accomplished literature is a way of exceptionally telling a story. However, what is the point of storytelling? In many cases, stories are told for entertainment. However, most stories have a moral or theme conveying an important message about life or how to live it. This is the point of great literature, to convey this message beautifully. Some pieces of great literature are The Story-Teller, by Saki, Geraldine Moore the Poet, by Toni Cade Bambara, and Enemy Territory, by William Melvin Kelley. To understand the themes of great literature, you must also understand how to analyze it. The content

There are so many different things one can learn from reading a story. Stories vary in length but it seems that your appetite for reading will gauge the kind of stories you elect to read. People who enjoy long thought out complex reading will enjoy much longer published works than what a short story has to offer. However there is a large population in the world of people who do not want to spend days on end reading a novel that is several hundred pages long and takes days to convey a simple message. In fact, many people want just the opposite in their reading. Many readers want a story that is short, sweet, and to the point. Something that they don’t need to spend hours or weeks on end reading but instead can get the exact same message or meaning from instead of having to spend a ridiculous amount of time reading a much larger work. Authors often want readers use the Formalist approach when reading these short stories as authors use words to convey the same message or meaning in less text than a much longer published work with hundreds of pages, it does this by using the text itself as a canvas for creativity. The Formalist approach is a great tool when it comes to writing short stories, and its use in Good Country People by Flannery O’Connor is classic example of how the Formalist Approach can be so effective in such a short story. Authors are incredibly