symbolism
Definition
Symbolism: the practice of representing things by symbools, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character.
Night Bloomer
Mrs. Brown's
cereus plant bloomed on Saturday night.
She sent word
after promising I could come see it.
I rubbed my gritty eyes with swollen hands.
My stomach grizzled as I
made my way through the dark
to her house.
Ma wouldn't have let me go at all.
My father just stood in the doorway and
watched me leave.
It was almost three in the morning when I got there.
A small crowd stood around.
Mrs. Brown said,
"The blossom opened at midnight,
big as a dinner plate.
It took only moments to unfold."
How can such a flower
find a way to bloom in this drought,
in this wind.
It blossomed at night,
when the sun couldn't scorch it,
when the wind was quiet,
when there might have been a sip of dew
to freshen it.
I couldn't watch at dawn,
when the flower,
touched by the first finger of morning light,
wilted and died.
I couldn't watch
as the tender petals burned up in the sun.
September 1934
Page 81 - 82
Cereus Plant
The Cereus plant is a flower. Another name for the Cereus plant is the Night Blooming Cereus, while it's scientific name is Epiphyllum oxypetalum. Cereus plants bloom in waves mostly during the summer months at night. It stays blooming all night, but closes in the morning. As many as 15 Cereus flowers bloom at once during the summer. It blooms in the night and stays blooming all night, but closes at the break of dawn, or in the morning. It usually blooms in tropical areas, such as Hawaii. What's special is that the plant emits an intoxicating fragrance, and as well just blooms at night.
What or who does the the Cereus Plant symbolize?
The cereus plant symbolizes Billie Jo's sadnes from the accident with Ma. When it is in the sun, the cereus plant withers and dies. The sun is a big ball of flame. Billie Jo feels like her Ma, like the Cereus, met the flames, then just withered and died. The cereus plant symbolizes how Billie Jo is emotionally, "I don't look back over my shoulder at the single grave holding Ma and my little brother. I am trying not to look back at anything." (pg.73) The accident of when her mother and her baby brother dies and now having swollen hands which handicap her piano playing makes her feel withered or worn out, just like the cereus plant was when it was revealed to the scorching heat of the sun. In conclusion, what the cereus plant symbolizes in the story is Billie Jo.
Symbolism: the practice of representing things by symbools, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character.
Night Bloomer
Mrs. Brown's
cereus plant bloomed on Saturday night.
She sent word
after promising I could come see it.
I rubbed my gritty eyes with swollen hands.
My stomach grizzled as I
made my way through the dark
to her house.
Ma wouldn't have let me go at all.
My father just stood in the doorway and
watched me leave.
It was almost three in the morning when I got there.
A small crowd stood around.
Mrs. Brown said,
"The blossom opened at midnight,
big as a dinner plate.
It took only moments to unfold."
How can such a flower
find a way to bloom in this drought,
in this wind.
It blossomed at night,
when the sun couldn't scorch it,
when the wind was quiet,
when there might have been a sip of dew
to freshen it.
I couldn't watch at dawn,
when the flower,
touched by the first finger of morning light,
wilted and died.
I couldn't watch
as the tender petals burned up in the sun.
September 1934
Page 81 - 82
Cereus Plant
The Cereus plant is a flower. Another name for the Cereus plant is the Night Blooming Cereus, while it's scientific name is Epiphyllum oxypetalum. Cereus plants bloom in waves mostly during the summer months at night. It stays blooming all night, but closes in the morning. As many as 15 Cereus flowers bloom at once during the summer. It blooms in the night and stays blooming all night, but closes at the break of dawn, or in the morning. It usually blooms in tropical areas, such as Hawaii. What's special is that the plant emits an intoxicating fragrance, and as well just blooms at night.
What or who does the the Cereus Plant symbolize?
The cereus plant symbolizes Billie Jo's sadnes from the accident with Ma. When it is in the sun, the cereus plant withers and dies. The sun is a big ball of flame. Billie Jo feels like her Ma, like the Cereus, met the flames, then just withered and died. The cereus plant symbolizes how Billie Jo is emotionally, "I don't look back over my shoulder at the single grave holding Ma and my little brother. I am trying not to look back at anything." (pg.73) The accident of when her mother and her baby brother dies and now having swollen hands which handicap her piano playing makes her feel withered or worn out, just like the cereus plant was when it was revealed to the scorching heat of the sun. In conclusion, what the cereus plant symbolizes in the story is Billie Jo.