One single moment, any single instance in time, can change a life forever. Alice Walker was able to capture life changing moments as well as the deep emotional responses resulting from these moments, in her two essays “Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self” and “Flowers”. Walker uses imagery, symbolism, and contrast as well as other figurative language throughout her essays to engage the reader in the life changing events. While some differences between “Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self” and “Flowers” are evident, the similarities are salient. Both of the essays are a vivid snapshot of a simple life turning into a complex life. Alice Walker uses symbolism and imagery to demonstrate life changes. Symbolism can be found when Walker intentionally uses the changing of the seasons to symbolize the change in the character Myop. The setting of the story starts out in the summer, but then the summer abruptly ends at the end of the
…show more content…
Walker uses imagery to contrast the lightness and the darkness. At the beginning of the story, Walker uses blithe terminology to describe Myop and her surroundings but then starts using darker words in the middle of the story. This can be seen when Walker states at the beginning,” She felt light and good in the warm sun,” (“Flowers” 1). Then in the middle of the story Walker reveals,” It seemed gloomy in the little cave in which she found herself,” (“Flowers” 1). The images of a bright and sunny world change for Myop as she ventures out on her own into the part of the woods in which she is not accustomed to. Imagery is also seen in what Myop finds along her journey. The particular type of flowers Myop collects on her journey is familiar and common to her at first. As Myop goes deeper into territory unknown to her, she finds new, fascinating types of flowers and collects them along with the common flowers. Once again, this imagery represents Myop’s upcoming change in
Walker uses imagery to contrast the lightness and the darkness. At the beginning of the story, Walker uses blithe terminology to describe Myop and her surroundings but then starts using darker words in the middle of the story. This can be seen when Walker states at the beginning,” She felt light and good in the warm sun,” (“Flowers” 1). Then in the middle of the story Walker reveals,” It seemed gloomy in the little cave in which she found herself,” (“Flowers” 1). The images of a bright and sunny world change for Myop as she ventures out on her own into the part of the woods in which she is not accustomed to. Imagery is also seen in what Myop finds along her journey. The particular type of flowers Myop collects on her journey is familiar and common to her at first. As Myop goes deeper into territory unknown to her, she finds new, fascinating types of flowers and collects them along with the common flowers. Once again, this imagery represents Myop’s upcoming change in