Symbolic Archetypes
Here are examples:
Light - Hope or renewal
Dark - Despair or ignorance
Water - Birth and life
Haven - Safety
Wilderness - Danger
Fire - Knowledge, rebirth
Ice - Death, ignorance
Black - Evil, mystery
Red - Passion, blood
Green - The earth, growth
White - Purity, peace, innocence
Three - Trinity; mind, body, spirit
Four - Seasons, elements
Square - Stability
Circle - Heaven, perfection, eternity
Spiral - Cosmic motion, growth
Clouds - Mystery
Crescent moon - Change
Lightning - Inspiration
Hourglass - Time passing
Heart - Love
One theme of this story is coming of age, which is revealed through Kevin’s experiences at school and home. In the story, Kevin feels caught between his interactions with his father at home and his teacher at school. Waldo, Kevin’s teacher, humiliates Kevin because his father helped him complete his homework, which is incorrect. Consider the character interaction at the end of the story between Kevin and his father:
“How did it go today?” his father asked.
“All right.” They kept silent until they reached the corner of their own street.
“What about the Latin?”
Kevin faltered, feeling a babyish desire to cry.
“How was it?”
“OK. Fine.”
“Good. I was a bit worried about it. It was done in a bit of a rush. Son, your Da’s a genius.” He smacked him with the paper again. Kevin laughed and slipped his hand into the warmth of his father’s overcoat pocket, deep to the elbow.
Kevin has the “babyish desire to cry,” but he doesn’t let his father know about the problems at school. His restraint shows that through this experience Kevin has matured, and he is protecting his father from feeling the humiliation from his school experience.
Advantages:
The author is closer to the age of their audience, which makes it easier to make content that is relatable to them.
Disadvantages:
The author might not be as experienced in their writing, which could potentially make the writing confusing to the reader.
