Rose of Sharon

Symbols and Moral

What does it all mean?

SYMBOLS~ relating to The Grapes of Wrath
 
     rose:beauty and perfection
     gazelle: a symbol of the male lover in the Song of Solomon
     foxes: "Catch us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom" (2:15) The foxes symbolize tricksters, those who despise the Oakies and set out to destroy them.
     Lily: most often sybolizes the Virgin Mary
     the brambles: the commonalities of the world, evil and ugliness
     the bushes: page 579, Rose of Sharon is proving herself beautiful, 'a lily amongst the brambles', she is also following in Ma's footsteps "She took the way Ma had gone earlier-- into the willows" and this represents yet another step in her transformation
     milk: a source of life, provided by another
    

MORAL:
 
   >>One must not be selfish in life, and all must work together, for that is the only way to survive<<
 
     Rose of Sharon painfully learned how difficult it is to be alone in life when Connie abandoned her and their unborn child. She learns that a family does not survive because it's members do what is best for themselves individually, but because all members work together for the sake of the family as a whole. The Oakies learn to band together as a giant force and are able to survive with each other's support and care. Rose's final transformation occurs when she realizes this at the end of the novel and becomes a mother to the world.
     "O you who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice; let me hear it" (8:13).

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Product of West Morris Central High School 2004: Meaghan C. Sara M. Katie P.