Symbolism In Lan Samantha Chang's 'Water Names'

Lan Samantha Chang’s short story, “Water Names,” on the basis is three sister listening to their grandmother retell them an ancient legend or commonly considered a ghost story. The grandmother finishes the story abruptly leaving the children with many questions, as well as the reader. However if the story is read in-depth, one realizes that the interplay between the present setting and actions with the ancient legend holds an underlining meaning—desire in all forms and the disruption between old and new. Through the use of detail and symbols, Chang relates to the true meaning of “Water Names” to the readers. The meaning of Chang’s short story is not revealed until the very end, which forces readers to reevaluate the entire story and realize …show more content…
Furthermore, many symbols and details, from the beginning to end of the story, lean towards the warnings of desire. The symbol of the cigarette in the description, “the tip of her cigarette glowing red like a distant stoplight” (17-18), initiates early on into the short story a warning sign. The symbolism of the cigarette as a stoplight explains to readers that the grandmother is about to express a cautionary tale. The grandmother eventually explains the descendants and ancestry of their family as a unit that cannot be broken apart because of the spirit of the river within them (41-42). Namely, the amount of detail and description the grandmother uses to explain the ancestry to her grandchildren in this particular section shows the significance of the value of family in this story. Especially since the following legend speaks about a young girl leaving her family due to desire, the grandmother builds upon the foundation that nothing can or should break the family apart. In support of that description, the spirit of the river symbolizes the strength that runs deep within the family. Again the ancient legend refers to a girl succumbing to temptation, however; the grandmother explains that the water strengthens their family rather than tears it apart. The short tale within the entire story explains a young girl who was “restless” (63) and never content which led to the possibility of losing “her mind to desiring” (114) at the end of the tale. This young girl is a surrogate for any of the sisters are mentioned towards the beginning of the story. The restlessness of the young girl translates over to each of the sisters particularly based on their initial description within the first paragraph of “Water Names.” The overall message of the grandmother’s story is to remain true to your family and resist the temptations of desire no matter how strong the urge or want to for something