ipl-logo

Symbolism In The Indian Lily

1090 Words5 Pages

“The Indian Lily,” by Herman Sudermann tells the story of Richard Niebeldingk’s love life through the literary device of metonymy. The metonymy can be seen in the Indian lilies that he sends to his past conquests. Niebeldingk sends the lilies as a means to say, “In spite of what has taken place you are as lofty as sacred in my eyes as these pale, alien flowers whose home is beside the Ganges. Therefore have the kindness-not to annoy me with remorse” (331), which is to say thank you for the evening please do not contact me again. He also says that, “I give them as a symbol of my chaste and desireless admiration” (333), which means he has no desire to further the relation. The frequency to which he sends out his Indian lilies shows his sexual prowess, and unwillingness to marry, as can be seen in the quote, “Go to the florist and order a bunch of Indian lilies. The man knows what I mean. If he hasn 't any, let him procure some by noon” (330). But the sending of flowers can also send the wrong message to his conquests as index of Miss Meta. The Indian lilies also represent his lack of a home, because of his bachelor life. Miscommunication and lost time is a hug part of this story. The woman that we see in the story most effected by Niebeldingk is Alice a smart woman who lives in a small second-floor apartment on the Regentenstrasse. Alice is one of the only conquests of Niebeldingk’s that he still contacts and continues physical intimacy with, which is a contradiction of what

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Joseph Boyden's Three Day Road

    925 Words  | 4 Pages

    She explains that when she was younger her father “was the last great talker” (Boyden, 34) on the reserve and would use “words forming invisible nets that he cast over us” (35). Boyden employs this metaphor to describe the captivating nature of Niska’s father and how each story ensnared it’s listener. This metaphor also establishes the motif of words portrayed as weapons which recurs throughout the novel as weapons are symbols of power. Niska continues that sometimes hunting was grim and they would struggle to survive long winters, so “his stories were all that we had to keep us alive” (35). Although they did not have food to fill them, the stories maintained morale, and brought them close together to increase body heat, ultimately saving them many times.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In The Bean Trees And Mirror Image

    1270 Words  | 6 Pages

    Thought out a persons ever changing life, the one thing that is always consistent is their name. However, sometimes a persons identity will change so much that their own name seems foreign when speaking it out loud. This creates the need for a new name to match a new identity. Kingsolvers The Bean Trees and Lena Coakley’s Mirror Image both apply characterization, conflict, and symbolism to show how identity changes with names and labels.

    Read More

  • The Chrysanthemums Literary Analysis Essay

    374 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Chrysanthemums Literary Analysis One of the themes of “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck is gender inequality. In this short story, the main character Elisa Allen was a strong, smart woman who was stuck being a common housewife. Elisa wishes she could go out and be like the tinker, sleeping under the stars and adventuring every day of her life. Elisa’s husband owns a ranch of some sorts, and when he tells Elisa of the business deal he’d just made he gave her an unspecific explanation, or a dumbed down one so he doesn’t “confuse her”.

    Read More

  • Language In The Farmer's Bride

    680 Words  | 3 Pages

    We then see the farmer’s unrequited ‘love’ throughout the poem where his bride is neglecting the idea of a husband “Not near, not near!’ her eyes beseech” the only words we hear from the bride show begging and trepidation, he notices her androphobia and it seems to impact his emotions when we reach the fourth stanza which stands out as a sensual, admiring description of the wife by the farmer. The poet uses sibilance (‘Shy…swift…/Straight…slight/Sweet…She/…Self.’) to convey the farmer’s whispered appreciation and leads on to compare her to nature ‘ Sweet as the first wild violets,’ strengthening the farmer’s positive opinion of his wife, however, she does not show him the affection he desires, contrasting the predator-prey relationship I discussed in the first paragraph where only the farmer benefited. She is ‘Sweet.../To

    Read More

  • Literary Devices In Marigolds By Eugenia Collier

    94 Words  | 1 Pages

    In “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier the coming of age short story where a now grown up Lizabeth reminisce her childhood especially going into Ms.Lottie’s garden. Ms. Lottie, who did not like children but treated her precious marigolds gets them destroyed by Lizabeth. After destroying them, Lizabeth realizes her errors believing she became a women in that moment. This short story has several literary device that are used in it to help deepen the meaning. The use of imagery, symbolism and metaphors in “Marigolds” helps the reader that it is important to not lose

    Read More

  • Identity In The Yellow Wallpaper

    1008 Words  | 5 Pages

    Due to the famous rest treatment in which the narrator is told to follow, her interactions with other individuals is severely limited. Most of her social interactions are between her and her husband John. The narrator’s relationship with her husband is considered to

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Symbolism In Herbal By Nalo Hopkinson

    840 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Herbal” by Nalo Hopkinson can be interpreted in many ways. Some readers may presume that the story talks about anxiety and depression, while others say it is about drugs and possibly abuse. I believe that the story is about the main character, Jenny, and her life with an abusive partner. The story shows that a victim in an abusive relationship will always have feelings for their partner, even when the partner is no longer in his or hers life. There 's always that desire for the abusive partner because our human nature is to desire and be desired by someone.

    Read More

  • Beauty In The Short Story Marigolds By Eugenia Collier

    707 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the short story, “Marigolds,” the author, Eugenia Collier, acknowledges the universal theme that people can create beauty in even the most dreariest of places. The story takes place in Maryland during the Great Depression. Lizabeth, the main character, is an adult looking back to the time when she had transitioned from childhood to womanhood. Miss Lottie, an old woman who lived in a shabby, broken down house, planted marigolds. As a child, Lizabeth had thought Miss Lottie to be a witch and despised the marigolds because it did not match the poverty and sadness that surrounded her.

    Read More

  • Betrayal In Three Day Road

    404 Words  | 2 Pages

    The French man attempts to take all that is important and dear to Niska as a human being. Niska’s story is a clear indication that she was used and betrayed by the Whiteman. Furthermore, the Frenchman feels satisfaction when,” [He] took [her] power away from this place and set it to burn in hell where it belongs,” (174). Because of this, her trust of wemistikoshiw men, is

    Read More

  • The Sign Of The Chrysanthemum Analysis

    869 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Sign of the Chrysanthemum- Katherine Paterson The novel The Sign of the Chrysanthemum by Katherine Paterson is a story a sef boy named Muna who runs away from his manor to the capital city of 12th century feudal Japan, Kyoto, in search of his samurai father. I will discuss the primes of social structure and politics. Katherine Paterson’s The Sign of the Chrysanthemum accurately portrays the Heiji Disturbance and the status of craftsmen and ronins.

    Read More

  • Imagery In Marigolds

    251 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the story “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier there is a lot of imagery and diction. The imagery was mainly focused on how the town looks and the contrast between the town and Miss Lottie’s house. In the text is states how that the only beautiful part of the house is the marigolds, “Miss Lottie's marigolds were perhaps the strangest part of the picture. Certainly they did not fit in with the crumbling decay of the rest of her yard”(Collier 23). This quote is trying to say that her house was a very old house that no one really cared for but, the marigolds were always taken care of and that was the only beauty in the whole yard.

    Read More

  • Flower Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

    699 Words  | 3 Pages

    Flowers are living organisms, as diverse as humans, ranging from beautiful and delicate to strong and sturdy. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the symbolism of flowers develop the characters and show the effect money had on their lives and social status in The Great Gatsby. Daisy and Myrtle are two characters with these symbolic floral names, one with a life of money, and one without. Daisy flower petals represent an external appearance of purity and innocence, in contrast to the yellow center that shows how corrupt Daisy was by her materialism and desire for wealth. Myrtle, the other flower, is stark in comparison to the delicate beauty and ephemerality of the daisy.

    Read More

  • John Muir's Fascination With Nature

    529 Words  | 3 Pages

    These images show Wordsworth’s relationship with nature because he personifies this flower allowing him to relate it and become one with nature.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Ibis Symbolism Essay

    770 Words  | 4 Pages

    In a person’s life, many situations transpire and make them feel pride over one’s self. Readers can see this in the short story,” The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst. “In his spare time Hurst wrote short stories and plays, but The Scarlet Ibis was the only work of his that become famous “(gradesaver.com)”. In the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis” James Hurst uses red to symbolize warning, death, and guilt to show the change the older brother goes through, as he takes care of Doodle. The first instance when red is used, is to express warning and the older brother’s attitude, is at Doodle’s birth.

    Read More

  • Plant Symbolism In A Raisin In The Sun

    451 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mama’s potted plant symbolizes many things, but the most prevalent is family. In Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raison in the Sun, Hansberry uses a plant to represent family. Just like any living thing, a plant needs to grow, to be watered, to be cultivated, and to be nurtured. Here are some examples of how Hansberry symbolizes family with a plant. To properly care for a plant you must watch over it as it grows and water it daily.

    Read More

More about Symbolism In The Indian Lily

Open Document