Symbolism In Anne Tyler's The Accidental Tourist Macon

On page 226 of Anne Tyler’s The Accidental Tourist Macon is faced with the destruction of his home. The descriptive analysis used to portray the pipe burst that floods Macon’s home exposes the atmosphere not just in the house, but also in Macon. Before Tyler even begins describing the scene the demeanor is already implied by the weather. This part of the novel takes place in the dead of winter just after a snowstorm. Winter is usually associated with the cold and that piercing wind chill that goes right through you. Therefore, the reader can detect that Macon’s house will most likely correspond with the ambiance of the weather. Tyler starts the scene off outside of the home, describing it as untouched but yet dingy in comparison to the snow. This comparison also lets the reader know that this is a broken home because snow and water usually signify purity or a fresh start, but this house represents everything but a fresh start. The …show more content…
“The instant he unlocked the door, they heard the water”. The urgency of Tyler mentioning the water running could be seen as symbol for all the problems Macon has bottled up in that house and the instant its opened it start to unravel. The first vocal reaction is then mentioned; Charles simple utters “Oh my God” which helps the reader to visualize the severity of the water damage. The living room is completely destroyed by the water, the ceiling was saturated, plaster covered the furniture, and even the rug was so wet is made a noise when Macon walked on it. Tyler mentions that the water must have “run, and run, and run” until it created this mess. This signifies Macon and Sarah’s marriage, they had “run, and run, an run” from their problems they had with one another and from Ethan’s death for so long until they burst. The pipe burst could even represent Ethan’s death. Both events lead to the same path of ruin: avoid the problem until eventually the damage is