A symbol that is prevalent in Scene 1, Act 1 of Blood Wedding is the knife. In this scene, the knife is seen by the mother as the bringer of death. She depicts it as a serpent, something to be feared. She then goes on to criticize guns, hoes, and other objects that can be used as weapons against man. This mania that she is put in by the idea of a weapon shows her fear of death, and how all humans have a natural fear of death. However, in this situation, she fears the death of her son.
Another symbols that appears in this scene is that of flowers. The mother describes her (deceased) son as being a geranium and her husband as a carnation. This metaphor represents the blooming life in people, and shows how this life can be abruptly cut short, much like how the bud of a flower can be snipped away. Lorca's use of flowers to exclusively describe males is itself an interesting decision. Although flowers represent life, they are also linked to femininity, and the representation of males as flowers clashes with this stereotype, and may be part of Lorca's own struggle against gender roles in his life.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
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I thought that you made some good connections with the symbol of flowers in the play. I really liked the connection you made between a budding flower being "snipped" away much like a person's life being cut short by another. However, I think that you should elaborate on your explanation on knives because most of your connections seem pretty general and universal
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