The Use Of Symbolism, And Similes

All building start with a foundation. The quality of a building always depends on its foundation. The same principle can be applied to life: A person’s character is shaped by their beginning. In Randall Williams' “Daddy Tucked the Blanket,” Sandra Cisneros’ “Salvador Late or Early,” and Sandra Cisneros’ “Eleven” both authors use symbolism, imagery, and similes in order to argue that a person’s character is largely shaped by the experiences that they face. Through the use of symbolism, both of the authors are able to convey that important events in a person’s life can have a major impact on their character. While describing his attempts to keep his house clean, Williams explains that “you can’t keep clothes clean and rooms in order if they …show more content…
In “Daddy Tucked the Blanket,” Williams describes how he woke up every morning “with plaster on [his] face where it had fallen out of the ceiling during the night”(Williams). This use of imagery shows how Williams couldn't even sleep in comfort. Every drop of plaster hitting his face was another drop of determination to succeed. In “Salvador Late or Early,” Salvador’s home is described as having a “raw wood doorway”(Cisneros). The author uses this imagery to convey that there is no sugar coating on Salvador’s life. The “raw wood” shows that Salvador does not have the luxury of a normal life. Salvador has to face everything as it is, without any protective coating. This forces Salvador to be faced with tough situations that strengthen his character. In “Eleven,” the narrator moves “the red sweater to the corner of [her] desk with [her] ruler”(Cisneros). This imagery is used in order to show that the sweater is having a super negative impact of the narrator’s life. The ruler shows that the narrator does not even want to touch it, and the sweater is moved to the corner of the desk because the narrator wants to be as far away from it as possible. This experience affects the narrator’s character by putting her in an uncomfortable situation that she must learn to deal with. The constant use of imagery in all three pieces helps both authors …show more content…
In “Daddy Tucked the Blanket,” the author describes his early life as “we lived like hell”(Williams). Through the use of this simile, the author is able to show how his challenging life made him stronger. By living in a place that is as scary as Hell, the narrator learns how to deal with a horrible life. In “Salvador Late or Early,” Salvador disappears over the horizon “like a memory of kites”(Cisneros). The use of this simile shows how Salvador had to mature quickly and gain wisdom while he was still a child. The memory of kites in this situation was Salvador’s lack of a normal childhood. Salvador never had the chance to play with a kite. As a result, the author shows how Salvador had to grow up quickly. The impossible situations and tough experiences that he faced during his early life show how salvador was forced to abandon his childhood. In “Eleven,” The sweater is described as being “like a big red mountain” that “smells like cottage cheese,” and the narrator wants nothing more than to get away “like a runaway balloon” (Cisneros). By using these similes, Cisneros is able to convey that the sweater had a big impact of the narrator's life. By comparing the sweater to a mountain and cheese, Cisneros explains how the sweater has made a massive impact. The mountain shows that the sweater is looming over her, and how it will always be there.