Alice Walker's The Flowers

Alice Walker's The Flowers

'The Flowers' is a short story written by Alice Walker. Walker is a

black American writer, who is renown around the world, especially

because of the ?book, turned movie? The Colour purple. Walker is

extremely interested in the history of human rights, particularly the

history of black women in the United States. Her writings often

reflect this interest and they usually have dual meanings. Walker

interpretates struggles of black women in her books, and The Flowers

is no exception. It is about the end of innocence, of a young black

child living in the 1930s. It reflects the unfairness of life, and the

circumstances of the black people during that period in time.

?The Flowers? is about a girl named Myop, she is from an agricultural

background (as most black Americans were in the 1930s). She is

described as carefree and innocent.

? It seemed to Myop as she skipped lightly from hen house to

pigpen?they days had never been as beautiful as these?.

This suggests she is young and holds no major responsibilities, there

are also connotations of lower class roots.

The story goes on to describe her mini- travels throughout the fields,

picking flowers and singing songs. This suggests the innocence she

possesses as a young child.

? She was ten, and nothing existed for her but her song?.

This openly tells the reader her young age, thus her lack of

responsibility, which allowed her to skip around the fields aimlessly.

The structure of the short story is basic. Each paragraph is more or

less six lines long. It is set out in traditional short story style,

each part coming in short bursts. The layout of the text makes it

easier to read, and interpretate. It allows the story to ?f...

... middle of paper ...

...e and purity

within Myop. The wild pink flower used towards the end is used as

symbolism.

? Very near where she?d stepped into the head was a wild pink rose.?

The flower was a type of metaphor type factor, it symbolized the young

and innocent Myop in the midst of a cold world full of brutal truths.

Elements of weather is used to foreshadow what is coming. This was an

effective tool which set the mood of the coming paragraphs. Walker

also uses ongoing themes of racism, culture and struggle throughout

the story, which is present in many of her writings. Alice Walker?s

writing is beautifully written, and urges the reader to read between

the lines. There is a theme of duality throughout, which is tactfully

used. ?The Flowers? is a thought provoking story which highlights the

struggles of black women that lived in the U.S.A during the 30s and

onwards.