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. By observing how her character changes over the course of the plot, it seems evident that Woodson is trying to convey to the reader that many things that seem innocent or nonexistent as a child can begin to be restricting and hurtful as you age.
One inference I made in …show more content…
This is important to the story for it may have given Woodson an idea of how dangerous racism can be. Finally, it is important to note the part in the story when she says “At 9, I felt as though home was turning its back on me now.”- pg. 4 Here, Woodson is not saying that that home is actually leaving her, but that the memories and idea of home she had relied on emotionally for so long was muddled by what her brother experienced. This matters because whatever happened to brother it affected her as well, and affected enough that it spawned a story. All in all, Woodson is trying to demonstrate to the reader that perspective can change as your experiences change. In the beginning, Woodson felt that the south was an accepting, or at least safe place, but because of whatever happened to brother, this changed. In the end, Woodson realizes she would not always be protected at home. This story, in the end, shows us that as you age and your experience grows, your perspective also
One inference I made in …show more content…
This is important to the story for it may have given Woodson an idea of how dangerous racism can be. Finally, it is important to note the part in the story when she says “At 9, I felt as though home was turning its back on me now.”- pg. 4 Here, Woodson is not saying that that home is actually leaving her, but that the memories and idea of home she had relied on emotionally for so long was muddled by what her brother experienced. This matters because whatever happened to brother it affected her as well, and affected enough that it spawned a story. All in all, Woodson is trying to demonstrate to the reader that perspective can change as your experiences change. In the beginning, Woodson felt that the south was an accepting, or at least safe place, but because of whatever happened to brother, this changed. In the end, Woodson realizes she would not always be protected at home. This story, in the end, shows us that as you age and your experience grows, your perspective also