Violets and Strawberries in the Snow

Authors Avatar

Tom ilett

Violets and Strawberries in the Snow

Choose a short story in which the author makes effective use of symbolism. Show how the write made use of this technique to enhance your appreciation of the text as a whole.

In the short story “Violets and Strawberries in the Snow” the author, Shena Mckay effectively uses symbolism to portray the stories main theme. Shena Mckay effectively uses symbolism to portray the idea that happiness is hard to achieve. The addition of symbolism to the story has greatly enhanced my appreciation of the text as we can clearly see the stores theme.

Violets and Strawberries in the Snow is based around Douglas, an alcoholic residing in a mental hospital. During his stay he notices that the patients in the hospital are desperately unhappy. He also comes to the conclusion that he himself is unhappy with what his life has become. Before he was institutionalised he came across a woman living in a rich part of town. He noticed that even with all her wealth she too was unhappy with her life. In Violets and Strawberries in the Snow all the characters are finding happiness very hard to achieve.

Join now!

The first use of symbolism is used to describe the mental hospital in which Douglas is staying in. He describes it as an “empty dolls house” which “stood incongruously and desolate with dead leaves blown against its open doors”. The Dolls house, symbolic of the hospital is described as being incongruous suggesting that it is out of place, it doesn’t fit in. The fact it is desolate highlights that the hospital is in a bad condition. The dead leaves symbolise the patients of the hospital. They are fading away. They have lost all colour and vitality in their lives. ...

This is a preview of the whole essay