Many individuals spend their lives wondering about how to experience true love. However, those who understand it know that effort and patience must be put into a relationship in order to find pure love. This message is vividly prevalent in the short stories "Two Kinds", “The Grandfather”, “The Marigolds”, and “The Osage Orange Tree”. The overarching theme in these works of growing a relationship through time and earnest attempt is developed through symbolism by the authors of these works. Indeed, the themes and symbolisms of the texts help depict the overall message portrayed by them. First, as demonstrated in “Two Kinds”, a family relationship requires effort. As demonstrated by the text, the narrator never put any attempts towards her mother’s
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The narrator recounts that the avocado tree, under the care of the grandfather, grew from small sapling into a grand specimen. According to the writing, “It grew, as did his family, and when he died, all his sons standing on each other’s shoulders, oldest to youngest, could not reach the highest branches,” (Soto 2). Additionally, it took fifteen years for the tree to produce a perfect avocado, but the tree flourished as a result of the grandfather’s work. From this idea, it can be gleaned that the tree was a symbol for the grandfather’s family; he moved from Mexico to California and worked laborious jobs for many years so that he could create a foundation for his family in the United States. Indeed, the grandfather’s entire life was indicative of the fact that rewards can only be produced by relationships with diligence and patience. Next, as portrayed by “The Marigolds”, happiness can be found in the most unlikely places if an impassioned attempt is made toward the relationship. This is evidenced by Ms. Lottie, who strived to bring a small patch of beauty to her landscape. The marigolds were her main pride; she found hope in her flowers in an otherwise dreadful time in her life. As recalled by the narrator, Ms. Lottie’s only source of optimism was her patch of flowers, the thing she most time into. Therefore, the flowers symbolized the fact that Ms. Lottie found joy in a miserable time because of the work that she put into the
The narrator recounts that the avocado tree, under the care of the grandfather, grew from small sapling into a grand specimen. According to the writing, “It grew, as did his family, and when he died, all his sons standing on each other’s shoulders, oldest to youngest, could not reach the highest branches,” (Soto 2). Additionally, it took fifteen years for the tree to produce a perfect avocado, but the tree flourished as a result of the grandfather’s work. From this idea, it can be gleaned that the tree was a symbol for the grandfather’s family; he moved from Mexico to California and worked laborious jobs for many years so that he could create a foundation for his family in the United States. Indeed, the grandfather’s entire life was indicative of the fact that rewards can only be produced by relationships with diligence and patience. Next, as portrayed by “The Marigolds”, happiness can be found in the most unlikely places if an impassioned attempt is made toward the relationship. This is evidenced by Ms. Lottie, who strived to bring a small patch of beauty to her landscape. The marigolds were her main pride; she found hope in her flowers in an otherwise dreadful time in her life. As recalled by the narrator, Ms. Lottie’s only source of optimism was her patch of flowers, the thing she most time into. Therefore, the flowers symbolized the fact that Ms. Lottie found joy in a miserable time because of the work that she put into the