Holly And The Ivy Analysis

Improved Essays
What is the true meaning of Christmas? Our surroundings are filled with Christmas trees, elves, Santa Clauses, and gifts. All of these things are what we directly come up with when one asks about the true meaning of Christmas. However, Christmas is so much more than that. It is the time of giving, discovering ourselves and spending time with the people that are the most important to us. Every family has their own traditions and rituals as they come together and unite during the holidays. The movie Holly and the Ivy directed by George More O’Ferrall reveals the storyline of the individuals struggled to hide their family secrets during the emotional Christmas reunion that brought back memories of World War II. Reverend Martin Gregory was a widower …show more content…
Ivy is an evergreen plant that represents eternity, loyalty and powerful affection relationships. The plant ivy has the ability to survive in any environment, regardless the conditions. As an individual, Margaret was known as fierce, vigorous, and self- determined woman. She always did whatever she pleased regardless of others think of her. She was the opposite version of Jenny. Margaret was the star of the family in everyone’s eye. She can have whatever she laid her eyes on from money, love to fame. The moment Jenny walked away from her family and chased her ambitions, she realized that she was capable of anything. However, during the family holiday reunion, she discovered that all the fame and money does not make her happy. Home was where her happiness truly belonged. However, with that realization, Margaret was too afraid to not live up to her full potentials. She does not want to become the second version of Jenny. Margaret knew that if she stayed home and took care of her father her successful career will get thrown away. After some self- realization moments, Margaret recognized that she will not get her egocentric and wealth characteristics change her as an individual. She will stay true to herself and do what her heart desired. Margaret knew what she was capable of between two worlds just like the plant ivy. No matter where it is regardless the conditions, it will always be able to cope and …show more content…
The plant holly symbolized the dignity, honor, and protections Jenny had toward family especially her father. She was never afraid to bleed and sweat for the people she loves. Next, the plant ivy symbolized the eternity and faithfulness Margaret had toward her surroundings and within herself. Although after leaving her family and went on to pursue her dream as a writer, Margaret did not allow the fame and money changed her as an individual. Her action demonstrated her ability to remain alive and green in any situations, regardless the conditions just like a holly. Lastly, the character Michael was the representation of both the holly and the ivy. He was able to discover himself and found the balance between doing what was right to protect his family while keeping his

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Holly's Runaway Analysis

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Last but not least, my final point of comparison is tone. Tone is essentially the attitude of a piece of writing, a person, or a situation. The tone of Runaway is very despairing whenever Holly thinks about her mom. When Holly even writes about her mom, in her journal, she starts to cry. She usually is spunky, even when on the run.…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    By using symbolism, Jacqueline Woodson is attempting to reveal in the story ‘When a Southern Town Broke a Heart’ that perspective can change as you become more mature and gain experiences. Have you ever felt like what was home for you had changed so much? That’s how Jacqueline Woodson felt. As we grow and change, so do our perspectives on a variety of things that we experience in life. Woodson introduces the poison ivy, representing oppression, as a central idea of the story.…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Ghost In A Christmas Carol

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The most important character among three Christmas ghosts in A Christmas Carol Christmas Carol was an influent novel which was written by Charles Dickens throughout one and half century about a life of Ebenezer Scrooge as a negative, penny-pinching and distasteful man in London. No one had ever wished to work as an employee in his office after his best business partner Jacob Marley died except Bob Cratchit. Nothing in the world would scare Scrooge if it wasn’t about the gold coins. The man, who used to be a heartless person, had changed in just a few nights before Christmas Eve coming. At this point, we must be thankful to three Christmas Ghosts which demonstrated Scrooge life’s faults and gave him a chance to change his bad…

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    TE LAP TOPIC #3 A plant is part of nature, it lives and dies like humans. Nature evolves into a greater understanding in life, it has a meaning to why it lives. In The Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, it illustrates how Janie’s life was represented by nature and how her life changed because of it. The changes in life happen for many reasons and are reflected upon nature's surroundings. Nature speaks to Janie in a way that only she understands why it changes the perspectives in life.…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Changes That Give a Chance For Better Charles Dickens’ classic story, A Christmas Carol, is about a man named Ebeneezer Scrooge, who is old and greedy. He lives a life of stinginess and misery because of his own extreme greed. Scrooge is mean to everyone, especially around Christmas. He is visited by three ghosts who show him his past, present, and future. Scrooge comes to realize that he has used money to escape his fears of poverty and loneliness.…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction Set in the 1840s on Christmas Eve, A Christmas Carol chronicles the personal transformation of the protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge after going through both love and festivity alongside grief and fear. The ‘Ghost of Christmas Past’ reminded Scrooge of a sense of festivity by revisiting his old headmaster Fezziwig; The ghost of Christmas Yet to come transformed Scrooge by exposing him to scenes where he sees his fiancée Belle and his own grave; The change of attitude is also evident in Scrooge after he experienced the love in the Cratchit’s family. This made Scrooge analyze his own life; Scrooge had to experience grief and fear alongside love and festivity to revive his sense of care and empathy towards society. Paragraph 1 The ‘Ghost of Christmas Past’ reminded Scrooge of a sense of festivity by revisiting his old headmaster Fezziwig.…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A Christmas Carol tells the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge a man who, despite the cheerful spirit of Christmas, turns to solitary and secrecy throughout this period. The selfish attitude Scrooge portrays correlates to the manifestation of four spirits that present themselves as a warning of what shall occur if he continues on the path of self-interest. Self-interest lives within all of us, it gives us the inclination to put ourselves in front of others. However the spirit of Christmas lives to curtail the selfish motives we all shelter. Scrooge becomes cognizant of his ambivalence regarding his selfish intentions and desire to promote charity.…

    • 1881 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Flowers in the context of the watermark represent Ruth’s life in her home. Her life is dull because her family lacks familial love. Ruth also is deprived of sexual love, but she still clings on to Macon, her husband. Flowers don’t have the capability to leave, so they are patient and still, and wait for love and care in order to grow. The flower shows that Ruth is complacent and is using her motherly right to force herself live in a household where she is unhappy and deprived of many rights, showing that women are weak when it comes to independence over…

    • 939 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Mayella is hoping for a better and more pleasing life since she is keeping these elegant flowers. The geraniums show that the dream of a better reality can happen even to individuals viewed as less fortunate. Mayella shows her own particular want or better presence through her geraniums. The geraniums represent her dream of wanting something better for herself. Finally, Lee uses flowers to symbolize character identities through the Mrs. Radley’s canna flowers.…

    • 576 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Many presents are received. Santa is waiting to take a picture with you on Christmas Eve or at many malls around the world. But most of all Christmas is about our Savior's birth on Christmas Day.…

    • 237 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    With each round of the seasonal carousel comes the holidays, which come and go like old friends. They bring memories of past, and promise of new traditions to come. Whether it is winter the incandescent branches of pine are adorned in glittering glass.. Easter, when children scatter in search of painted eggs. Halloween, where children come knocking late in the evening, or thanksgiving-- thankfully eating until you almost yack.…

    • 1824 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Being considerate and helpful to others is what makes you have a humanity. “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is a story about a man named Ebenezer Scrooge who was tremendously greedy and was visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future to make him see what his selfishness had caused him. This story has multiples themes, such as social justice, the true meaning of humanity, etc. Greed overtakes the humanity of those who possess it because it pushes away everyone you love and takes away your ability to be kind and empathetic, and lose quality time with people who care about you.…

    • 858 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, is a beloved tale that people of all ages have loved for its emotional and moral appeal. It is a story focusing on the life of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy and cold-hearted money-lender, who is visited by four ghostly apparitions who convince him together to change his merciless ways. At the beginning of this tale, Scrooge does not recognize the effects of his greed, so the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future take it upon themselves to show him how much his greed can hurt the people around him. Needless to say, greed is the central theme of Dickens’ beloved novella, and it is revealed by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, in order to change Scrooge’s curmudgeonly ways. The very…

    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Nathaniel Hawthorne 's The Scarlet Letter is full of symbolism. Every item has a story in it. He didn’t just throw in a rose because they’re his favorite flower. He put thought and meaning into every word in the book. Hawthorne’s symbolism may be over discussed in various english classes, but it for good reason.…

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Last Leaf Analysis

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Everyone in this world experiences some large loss in their lifetime. “Gwilan’s Harp” by Ursula K. LeGuin, “The Washwoman” by Isaac Bashevis Singer, and “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry all starkly portray this theme. The harpist in “Gwilan’s Harp” loses her harp and then later her skills and soon after her beloved husband. In “The Washwoman”, the dear old launderer has lost the love of her son, health, and soon her life. One of the artists in “The Last Leaf” loses her hope for living when she contracts pneumonia and because of his care for her she ends up losing the best neighbor she could hope for.…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays