Analysis of The Flowers Essay

Alice Walker's text The Flowers was written in the 1970's. During this time era, racism was a huge issue, especially against Africa/American people.

The Flowers is about a young African/American girl, Myop, who one day explores the land she lives near. Through imagery, symbolism and language, Walker documents the transition of Myop's childhood innocence to an awareness of the worlds atrocities.

One of the many examples of this, is Walker's use of light/dark terms.

The beginning of the text clearly focuses on Myop's childhood innocence and purity "She felt good and warm in the sun." Walker uses light terms to emphasize Myop's innocence.

As the story folds out, the lighter terms, such as "As she skipped lightly from henhouse to pigpen", take a slightly darker turn. Myop has found herself in unfamiliar territory, the land isn't as peaceful. Myop turns, with full intentions of returning home and back to the world she knows. That is when she finds the corpse. At this point in the text the reader finds words such as 'strange', 'damp,' and 'gloomy'. Myop clears the debris from the man's (suggested to be one of the African/American workers hanged) face to find all of his white teeth cracked and broken. This suggests that something that was once white and pure has been broken and tainted by the cruel and harsh reality of the world. As Myop examines her surroundings she finds the remains to the noose, 'Frayed, rotted, bleached, and frazzled--barely there--but spinning restlessly in the breeze.'

Another example of imagery/symbolism within the text is her use of Seasons/Time.

At the start of the text it is stated that Myop finds each day a golden surprise. That would most likely change after that day.

In previous years, Myop had traveled with her mother, now she is independent enough to go out into the world by her own. She's no longer a little child.

The text is set during the Summer. Summer, represents growth, knowledge and maturity. When you dream of the Summer time, you are showing tolerance and expanding your realm of understanding. Obviously, Myop is experiencing alot of that. She is growing into a young woman, she is mature enough to go places by herself and she is beginning to understand the world.

"Often, in the late autumn, her mother took her to gather nuts among the fallen leaves."Autumn, comes right after Summer. Autumn represents the end of something and the beginning of something new, thus being known as the season of change.

Myop has changed, or in the middle of change, from a young naive girl to someone more grounded.

Another example is the issue of life and death.

In the beginning of the text, Myop is young, care-free and full of life. Myop is like a butterfly, new life.

The story is called The Flowers. Flowers can represent two things. Happiness, love, kindness and gentleness, along with Death and sorrow. During the day, Myop comes across a small field of flowers and picks them. Shortly later she comes across the dead man. Seeing death, is enough to kill something pure inside her.

Near the man was a wild rose, inside the frayed noose used to kill the man. Along with the blue flowers she had collected that day and the rose, she laid them beside the corpse as a sign of respect for the dead.

Finally, one of the many ways to explain of Myop's transition is through symbolism.

"...gather nuts among the fallen leaves."

Leaves signify new found happiness and improvements in various aspects of ones life. It is symbolic of fertility, growth and openness. Alternatively, leaves represent a passage of time. The passage of time in question, is Myop's passage from young child to a mature girl.

If leaves are golden, like they would be in the autumn, they symbolize a pleasant future ahead. However, the leaves Walker is talking about, are fallen. When something is fallen it can alternatively mean it is lost. That would mean, Myop's golden future is lost.

Myop was picking blue flowers, keep in mind what flowers symbolize. Blue represents truth, wisdom, heaven, eternity, devotion, tranquility, loyalty and openness. The truth about the world is nearing for Myop. Infact, it was very soon after she had collected the blue flowers that she discovered the dead body, lifting the veil on the outlook of life.