“After the rain there is a rainbow”, after havoc and death there is the rebirth of something new, something better. This antithesis can be applied to Maxine Clair’s Rattlebone; a notable excerpt would be the short story “The Last Day of School”, where Irene portrays the epitome and final resolutions of her ups and downs that lingered throughout the story, reflecting on the overall theme: destruction and creation. With extreme chaos and fast-paced storytelling, Clair displays the epitome of both material and emotional destruction. Eerily noting that “the crash became the period at the end of the sentence about life in Rattlebone” (197), the narrator stresses the great impact the plane crash had on …show more content…
Aside from the minor details, minor recreations by the side characters, such as scholarship funds, volunteers help rebuild homes, etc. there are major details concerning Irene and her family. James Wilson took the opportunity of purchasing an old business and taking over. It became quite a huge success. When Irene proudly boasts “I loved our new status” (203), she expresses her content for the current situation, and also hints at the success of the cleaners that her parents now run. This is an example of not only recovery, but improvement also, after a setback. Also, she got accepted for the scholarship program from Alpha Kappa Alpha. This is a great honor and a great step forward in Irene’s education. Not only Irene, but the parents are also happy living their separate lives. is. When Irene mentioned she felt “a twinge of happiness for him” (212), she reflects on how happy her father is in order to be able to influence her so. By presenting loss in destruction, then gain in creation, Clair proves her point that there will always be a rainbow after the rain. As seen above, through the use of comparison between before and after scenarios, Clair portrays the presence and role of destruction and creation in the lives of both fictional characters and real people, and that affects how our lives play out. Perhaps that is why