Analysis Of The Flowers By Alice Walker

Alice Walker's rough life growing up, gives us a clear image of how her background impacted the delicate themes she writes about in her novels. For example, at a young age, Walker was insecure about her appearance, which led her to a new mental state of mind. In an interview of Alice by O'Brien, she describes, "I daydreamed of falling swords, putting guns to my heart or head, and of slashing my wrists." (O'Brien). Alice Walker's insecurities led her to be depressed, which then introduced her passion for writing. Alice Walker's history of depression may pinpoint the reason she started writing but moreover, what she started writing. Alice Walker writes about sensitive topics including racism, sexism religious views, and homosexuality. Many

As the literal meaning of the story, “The Flowers” is about the lynching of African Americans at that time. Even though this story is fiction, it definitely represents what could have happened in that day in age. It is historically accurate in that it very well could have happened and most probably did happen based on the time period it was written. The lynching of African Americans was a huge problem at that time in the south. Black men were being blamed for crimes they did not commit and were hanged for it without proof. Racism and segregation were ramped in the United States. Thus, inducing the civil rights movement that would fight for the end of segregation and racism. In the story itself, there were signs of how common it was for a black man to be lynched at the time. When Myop stumbles across the body of a recently lynched black man, she immediately realizes what had happened to him and does not really freak out. As expressed in the book, the moment she realized what she had stepped on she let out a little yelp of surprise but then took interest in her discovery. This reaction insinuates that it was almost normal to see such a thing. In the end, she laid down her flowers next to the man and continued on her way home. On the other hand, this story can be taken for more than its literal meaning.

Anybody can find inspiration from anything. For Alice Walker, the author of “The Flowers” and “Everyday Use”, her inspiration was in her upbringing. Both short stories have unique storylines, but one thing they have in common is the incorporation of Alice Walker’s underprivileged life growing up. For example, “The Flowers” is about a little innocent girl, who makes her fun running through the woods behind her family’s sharecropper cabin, who stumbles upon a horrible sight. This little girl, Myop, suddenly ‘loses her innocence’ when she sees a dead man in the woods. As well as in the story “Everyday Use” there is an underprivileged family with a mother and two daughters, where the lifestyle just isn't enough for the older daughter, Dee. Overall, the unique inspiration Alice Walker’s childhood had on her helps craft the particular storylines and themes of “The Flowers” and “Everyday Use”.

The initial three passages are committed to setting the scene‐describing Myop ("...her dull darker hand...") and placing her in setting ("...her family's tenant farmer cabin...", "...the spring, where her family got drinking water..."). Compelling portrayal gives believability to the earth, and makes the later occasions all the additionally stunning: "Myop viewed the modest white air pockets disturb the thin dark size of soil and the dilute rose and slid away the stream."

Myop bounced around until she stumbled upon the man, who is portrayed as the antagonist. The man, who was lynched, is depicted as the antagonist because he stole her innocence, by seeing something horrifying Myop no longer had the integrity of a little girl. She has realized the cruelty and the horrors of the world around her which she once thought was all happy and smiles. In addition, the man symbolizes death in this story so the antagonist can also be shown as death, “When she pushed back the leaves and layers of earth and debris Myop saw that he’d had large white teeth, all of them cracked or broken, long fingers, and very big bones” (“The Flowers” 2). Myop was so sweet and innocent and it was tragic that she had to deal with such a sad event that now made her mature and grow older far too soon. “To Hell with Dying” is about a young girl who is very close friends, in fact neighbors, with a man named Mr. Sweet. Mr. Sweet is getting older and he is an alcoholic and a diabetic and he is constantly on the verge of death. Every time Mr. Sweet is about to die, the family that neighbors Mr. Sweet comes over and sings to him and brings him a happy environment and he always manages to pull through. The protagonist is the narrator, a young girl who is very fond of Mr. Sweet and sees him as a role model and a friend. The narrator, just like Myop, is sweet and innocent with no real idea of what death really is.

In the short story “Flowers” by Alice Walker, she uses the motif of blindness and disease to dramatize Myop’s loss of innocence. Myop is given the name for a major symbolic reason. Her name is short for “Myopia,” which is a given to short sightedness. This metaphor is brought into play to show Myop’s naivety in the beginning of the story. Also in the beginning, the author mentions her name a numerous amount of times. The repetition of her name implies that she is blind to the realities of the world happening around her. As the story progresses, the author reduces the use of Myop’s name. This suggests that Myop begins to open her eyes and finally see the world as it is with all of its harsh realities. The name “Myop” could also be short for

Two minutes. All views simply fading from her mind into thin oblivion as her eyes focus on the rich soil path leading to the train station, always crowded by ghosts with no conscience; however, now the ghosts are transparent as no one is present. Walking towards the isolated tree, Adriana stands in perplexment as to why her true love is absent. A moist drop lands on her cheek, as a metallic smell arises opposite of water from rain. Her hand leads up to wipe the liquid, as a sharp intake of breath is audible when wide emerald eyes meet a blush red rather than clarity- A sharp hum fills her mind, starting gradual but heightening in sound, piercing ferociously through her ears, and numbing her mind. Her airway blocks as if someone has sharply dug their hand down to her soul, and latched onto her heart. Adriana’s chest heaves up and down rapidly, struggling to allow the once sweet air within. Hesitance clouds her conscience, as her eyes hesitantly trail to see the source of the bloody rain that falls from the sky. His round nose, his dusky complexion, frilly careless hair, black pants that cling to strong legs, and a white stained shirt that fills with winds that once were familiar. Her thoughts only stray to denial and nothing

“He said he would protect us.” The child went back to organizing the flowers she gathered that day. A daisy was handed to her mother with a smile.

This discovery is the end of Myop’s carefree existence; therefore, her innocence dies. Myop lays down her flowers, not only at the gravesite of the man but also at the gravesite of her childhood and her former self. The most obvious way that death is present as a theme is through the fact that Myop discovers an actual dead body in the forest. She comes to realize that all people die; some have harsh and cruel deaths. The details of the decomposing body: the eyes, teeth, and rotting clothes strengthen the theme. In the beginning from the description of Emily’s death-haunted life to the description of Emily herself, it is clear that death runs rampant for Emily. Emily is a fixture in her community, as a symbol of the south’s old dying ways. She tries to deny the fact of death at all. Her necrophilia first comes to light once her father dies. She is unable to admit that he has passed away and clings to his controlling love- the only love she knows. Reluctantly, she gives up his body. When Homer dies, she again refuses to accept it, even though she is the cause of his demise. In murdering Homer, she was able to ensure that he would never leave her. Homer and Emily’s repulsive marriage reveals Emily’s attempt to fuse life and death as one. Death ultimately conquers all.

Everybody in the world faced many changes as they gets older and as well as the way they see things in nature. It started with innocent life to evil or dark side. Childhood experience are unforgettable because it is where the innocent experience takes place. In childhood life, there are no worries and usually most children depends on parents so it is hard to understand the real world for them. Therefore, they thinks the world is perfect, yet they do not know what life will brings in the future. In the articles “The Lesson” written by Toni Cade Bambara and “The Flowers” written by Alice Walker both shows an analysis of both stories inform the readers that innocence will fracture sooner or later. Both the stories realized the real world at the end of the stories but Myop perceived it by stepping on the dead body while Sylvia learned it through observing.

In Flowers, Alice Walker opens the story with a young girl named Myop who is exploring nature in the country. Myop’s family is underprivileged and her parent’s occupations are sharecroppers on a farm. Myop spends her day exploring the countryside and observing the nature around her. One day, while she is walking along the countryside, Myop gains an eerie feeling and senses she should return home. On her way back, she comes along this lump sticking out of the ground and pauses to explore what it is. To Myop’s surprise, it is a deceased body of a man. She than proceeds to lie flowers, hence the title, around his body. After that, all of innocence has been taken away from her and will never be the same now that she has seen and experienced evil, sadness, and death. However, she still has her strength which is shown when she covers the mans body in flowers. In this writing, the role of strong female characters is very evident. Myop in the beginning of this story is innocent, has never experienced the realities of life, until finding the deceased man in the fields. This sight takes away her view of life as perfect and good and changes it into evil and filled with death. Yet, while she is going through all these changes, she is still strong and goes through the tough action of covering this man. By her

(Walker 1). Myop, living on a sharecropper’s cabin in the summertime, is carefree and sheltered in her surroundings. This setting is significant because it creates a sweet, childlike mood where Myop is only set out to enjoy her

In the short story The Flowers by Alice Walker, the author uses imagery in nature to convey the motif of growth and change, an element of the story which contributes to the idea that one cannot stay young and innocent forever; eventually, everyone has to grow up, no matter how unprepared they may be. Natural imagery is used with great frequency throughout the story, starting in the first sentence, but a strong example can be found regarding the spring. It is described as “where the family got drinking water”, a source of vitality and sustenance, yet “tiny white bubbles disrupt the thin black scale of soil… the water [silently rising] and [sliding] away down the stream” (Walker). This quote details the movement of the spring as well as the

     The essay “In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens” by contemporary American novelist Alice Walker is one that, like a flashbulb, burns an afterimage in my mind. It is an essay primarily written to inform the reader about the history of African American women in America and how their vibrant, creative spirit managed to survive in a dismal world filled with many oppressive hardships. This piece can be read, understood, and manage to conjure up many emotions within the hearts and minds of just about any audience that reads it. However, Walker targets African American women in today’s society in an effort to make them understand their heritage and appreciate what their mothers and

The novel The Language of Flowers, is one written by author Vanessa Diffenbaugh. The novel centers around a young girl named who goes by the name of Victoria Jones. As the reader begins, they are made aware of Victoria’s upbringing and all the difficult challenges she had endured during her time living within the foster care system. Diffenbaugh does an excellent job intertwining both the past and present to help readers understand her turmoil, as well as her joy. The author expresses this through the main character Victoria, who eventually develops a gift for flowers in which she uses to changer not only her life, but others’ lives as well. In fact, flowers are the only way that Victoria feels connected to the world around her because she