...say in words. Symbolism is widely used in “The Story of An Hour” and “The Cranes”, which use conventional symbols, literary symbols, and even allegory. “The Story of An Hour” is written by Kate Chopin. Mrs. Mallard hears of her husband’s death from her husband’s friend Richards. At first, she feels depressed, but then she feels free and can have her own new life after thinking things through. Sadly, her “new” life is cut short by the abrupt return of Mr. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard, who has a bad heart, was so stricken by the fact that her husband is alive that she dropps dead on the spot. “The Cranes” is written by Peter Meinke. A couple goes to the Gulf to watch the birds- Cranes. After that, they commit suicide because they are fed up with life, which is full of sickness, illness and pain. In both stories, symbols play a role in conveying the central meanings that make the theme of the stories outstanding. “The Cranes” is a story in which the author uses symbols to render sadness and romance. The first and the main symbol is the title of the story- The Cranes. Cranes traditionally symbolize life and longevity. The author uses cranes to symbolize the couple and their relationship. “… they mate for life and live a long time…” (Meinke, 260). Meinke wants to express that the couple love each other very much and that they are perfect soul-mates for each other. They are life-time partners. The extinction of cranes also symbolizes the problem that the couple has. Children are very different...
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...“The Cranes” by Peter Meinke appears to be a simple love story about an old couple reminiscing about their life, but with a closer look the story reveals a darker component of love. The story follows an old couple’s stop at the Gulf to watch some birds. While they are watching the birds they spot two whooping cranes. Throughout their conversation and observation of the birds Meinke reveals details that the couples and the cranes share in common. Thus, the pair of whooping cranes viewed by the couple in story symbolizes both their rarity, eternal love, and their last moments together. The couple in the story is a couple that has been together a long time and persevered through life together. When they first see the whooping cranes the husband says “they are rare, not many left” (196). This is the point in the story where the first connection between the couple and the cranes are made. The rarity of the cranes symbolizes the rarity of the couple’s relationship. Although they have started developing anomalies in their health, with the husband he “can’t smoke, can’t drink martinis, no coffee, no candy” (197) ¬—they are still able to laugh with each other and appreciate nature’s beauty. Their relationship is a true oddity; filled with lasting love. However this lasting love for whooping cranes has caused some problems for the species. The whooping cranes are “almost extinct”; this reveals a problem of the couple. The rare love that they have is almost extinct as well. The wife worries...
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...Jennell Barnett 20 September 2014 ENG104H Paper 1 My Critical Analysis of “The Cranes” Certain circumstances and situations can cause drastic changes in one’s life. Sometimes change can have a negative effect on a person, and they start to resent the gift of living. Dwelling on unpleasant changes can create severe damage to one’s emotional stability. When one focuses on the negative instead of the positive, life becomes unbearable and can result in an individual wanting to take their own life. Unfortunately, that is what happened to the old couple in the short story, “The Cranes” written by Peter Meinke. Thinking outside of the box is needed to fully analyze the couple’s characteristics, their conversations, and their decision to end their lives. The old couple loved each other, but focused their time on all the negative changes that happened to them. “They leaned forward in the car, and the shower curtain spread over the front seat crackled and hissed,” was stated in “The Cranes” written by Peter Meinke. That line from the short story let me know that the aged couple were old and bent out of shape. Their bodies made sounds as they moved around in the car. So far, I understand that this couple is not only old, but their bodies are slowly falling apart. Additionally, the husband of the elderly couple started complaining about what he cannot do anymore. I gained the impression that not only was his body slowing down, but he was also a grumbler. The husband’s characteristic...
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...S. McDonald Professor Williams ENC 1102 12 January 2011 Reader Response 1 The first time I read “The Cranes” by Peter Meinke, it appeared to be nothing more than a story about an elderly couple sitting in their car at the Gulf of Mexico reflecting on their lives together. However, the second time I read the short story, I began to pick up on the author’s symbolism. It wasn’t until I read the story for a third time that I realized the couple was committing suicide. I truly enjoyed this story. There is so much more to it than I originally thought. The initial shock of realizing that the husband and wife were taking their own lives was quite disturbing to me. However, I was greatly comforted by the couple’s sense of humor in these final moments of their lives. They were so completely at ease with one another. The author uses descriptions of three different kinds of birds to convey an image of how the couple must view themselves and the world around them at this point in their lives. “Along the marshy shore two tall stately birds, staring motionless toward the Gulf, towered the bobbing egrets and scurrying plovers.” (Meyer 621) The first clue the author gives that there is more to the story than there first appears to be is the mention of the shower curtain on the front seat. “the shower curtain spread over the front seat crackled and hissed.” (Meyer 622) The next clue is when the wife questions if they are doing...
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