In the novel House of Sand and Fog there are many symbols that we see develop and grow in meaning throughout the book with using two different points of view: a unfortunate woman, Kathy, who just lost her home and husband, and a previously wealthy immigrant struggling to earn the love back from his wife, Colonel Behrani. The main symbols we see on the two sides of the story that eventually become intertwined with conflict are the image of home and fog. Countless times the idea of home is used to show characters situations, emotions, and problems while fog shows the setting and foreshadows upcoming events. Home is a common symbol in literature, but in House of Sand and Fog, it has a special meaning. On Kathy’s side of the story, her home
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Both Kathy and Behrani see and describe fog in important parts of the book that give us an image of the scene and despite the fog making the events ahead unclear, it offers a slight foreshadowing effect. When the fog is described as clearing or the coast is free of fog, readers are lead to believe something good will happen to that character, but if the setting is described as heavy with fog, it is know that the future is not necessarily bright. After Behrani buys his new home, he describes the scene, “Earlier there was fog but now the sky's the color of peaches and the sun is low over the ocean I cannot yet see from our home.” (94) This shown the sun rising and the fog clear, symbolizing a new beginning and very possibly happy times for him and his family in their new home. On the negative side of fog being a symbol, on the day Kathy is forced to leave her house she tells the readers, “Neither of us talked and the fog still moved slowly through the streets.” (53) This description shows that the setting is eerie, mysterious, and that Kathy’s near future is not as joyful as Behrani’s. The consistent imagery the author uses with fog helps develop and idea of the setting and how the setting can symbolize the characters ever changing
Both Kathy and Behrani see and describe fog in important parts of the book that give us an image of the scene and despite the fog making the events ahead unclear, it offers a slight foreshadowing effect. When the fog is described as clearing or the coast is free of fog, readers are lead to believe something good will happen to that character, but if the setting is described as heavy with fog, it is know that the future is not necessarily bright. After Behrani buys his new home, he describes the scene, “Earlier there was fog but now the sky's the color of peaches and the sun is low over the ocean I cannot yet see from our home.” (94) This shown the sun rising and the fog clear, symbolizing a new beginning and very possibly happy times for him and his family in their new home. On the negative side of fog being a symbol, on the day Kathy is forced to leave her house she tells the readers, “Neither of us talked and the fog still moved slowly through the streets.” (53) This description shows that the setting is eerie, mysterious, and that Kathy’s near future is not as joyful as Behrani’s. The consistent imagery the author uses with fog helps develop and idea of the setting and how the setting can symbolize the characters ever changing