Paper 2

Asiah Smikle

Prof. Brady

English 102 Paper #2

16 April 2019

Love is A Battle and we are it’s Warriors

In literature, authors often utilize symbolism, using something tangible or even a person to represent an idea. Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. Authors as well as song writers use symbolism in there pieces when one thing is meant to represent something else. The symbol will be one of three types: archetype, universal or contextual. The use of symbolism helps to create meaning and emotion in a story or song. Often times, the symbol being used to help create that emotion is easy for the reader to understand. In Hills like white Elephants by Ernest Hemingway and The Storm by Kate Chopin they use symbolism to emphasize the theme; love is a battle and we are the warriors.

Kate Chopin in “the Storm” uses contextual symbolism to develop the theme that marriages are not perfect. Although, there is a physical storm in the story there is also a storm of emotions. As the storm approaches Bobinot notices the “sombre clouds that were rolling with sinister intention from the west, accompanied by a sullen, threatening roar.” (Chopin, The Storm). The description makes it obvious that it is a threatening, dangerous storm. “They did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms” (Chopin, The Storm). The storm reaches its climax, as do Calixta and Alcee, and in his arms she is no longer scared, she now laughs at the roaring storm. “The growl of the thunder was distant and passing away. The rain beat softly upon the shingles…” (Chopin, The Storm). The storm is passing, the threat is over. The use of contextual symbolism is seen in Hills like White Elephants with the White Elephant. You’ve all heard of the expression “the elephant in the room”, it indicates a situation in which someone refuses to address a typically weighty, or just obvious topic. For the girl, her pregnancy is not a gift that she's unwilling to receive. However, when it comes to talking about the situation with the American, she'd rather avoid the discussion altogether, even begging at one point, “Would you please please please please please please please stop talking” (Hemingway, Hills Like White Elephants). Jig the young women is fighting with herself internally because one part of her wants to keep this child, and the other part of her wants to sacrifice her child, in order for her relationship to remain as it was. Love is a battle and we are the warriors. In every relationship there are ups and downs, and in every marriage there are good days and bad days. Many authors use contextual symbolism because they are able to create the symbolic meaning within the context of that literary for a specific story. Hemingway and Chopin both gave insight on how relationships and marriages aren’t always perfect, they created an angle that the reader could interpret correctly by using symbols such as the storm, and the elephant in the room.

Symbolism is not only used in works of literature to highlight certain themes, but we also see symbolism used in songs. In Tamar Braxton’s song Love and War, she symbolizes love as a war frontier. Soldiers fight in order to keep their lives on the frontier, the same way people fight to keep their relationship or marriage together. Braxton sings “ We stay on the front lines,yeah but we're still here after the bomb drops,we go so hard we lose control the fire starts then we explode,when the smoke clears we dry our tears only in love and war” (Braxton, Love and War). Love is not easy love is hard and takes patience. After the bomb drops we dry our tears essentially means that after arguments and rough patches come with every relationship or unity and those with true love will dry there tears and move on, either together, or separately that’s for you to decide.

Authors and almost any kind of writer use symbolism to highlight there themes. It encourages the reader to evaluate the text and put the symbols together in order to fully understand the works of literature or music. If all works of literature were straight and to the point there would be no room for the reader to draw scholarly analysis. Hemingway, Chopin and Braxton displayed there use of contextual symbolism to create the theme of love is a battle and we are it’s warriors.

Works Cited

Braxton, Tamar. Love and War. www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tamarbraxton/loveandwar.html.

Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature. W. W. Norton & Company, 2020.