The literary purpose of the beginning part of Stone Angel is to provide expository information on the main characters, the setting, and the situation through the use of symbolism. The author has, without actually describing the main character, know her background family life, her childhood home, her thoughts, and parts of her personality. It is set up in such a way to allow the reader interest into the rest of the story, as well, as guess at what is to come. The symbols of the stone angel, the cemetery it is in, and the flowers found within allow us to glimpse into the main characters head before she is formally heard or discussed.
The first thing that we are able to learn about is the main characters mother and father. We learn that her mother died giving birth to her, as she “relinquished her feeble ghost as I gained my stubborn one.” We learn that her father bought the memorial of the stone angel not out of love or remembrance to this woman, but rather to “proclaim his dynasty” forever, to be forever telling the town that he was wealthy enough to provide such a burial for his wife, that he was good enough. The stone angel stood not as a tribute, but rather as a means for self-advancement in the eyes of the town. The an
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Hagar then provides a brief narrative into her childhood life. It is a tribute to life before, and seems almost melancholy with remembrance, back to life in a more pure time. She seems to be more of an ornament to him, someone who will look good on his arm, rather then someone who he lives without out of love for her person. We also see that it again discusses her being held back and in fact torn out by “loving relatives. where white kid boots and dangling skirts would not be torn by thistles or put in unseemly disarray. ” This again tells us not only about the setting, that it was a long time ago in the past, but also again brings up the circumstances she was bought under. It shows us how fragile something we perceive as beautiful, such as a flower, or a life, actually is and how vulnerable it can be. Too heavy for their light stems, bowed down with the weight of themselves and the weight of the rain, infested with the upstart ants that sauntered through the plush petals as though to the manner born. “In summer the cemetery was rich and thick as syrup with the funeral-parlor perfume of the planted peonies . We learn enough in this paragraph to learn where at least part of the story will take place.
Approximate Word count =
1523
Approximate Pages =
6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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