The Moths Free Essays

Through the use of Symbolism and Characterization In the short story â€Å"The Moths† by Helena Maria Viramontes, the author uses symbolism and characterization to paint the scene of a girl in a literary fiction that has lost her way and ends up finding herself within her Grandmother through the cycles of life.Through the eyes of an unnamed girl we relive a past that has both a traumatic ending and a new leash on life; however, we do not get there without first being shown the way, enter â€Å"The Moths†. The author utilizes opposite ends of the light spectrum to signify beginnings and endings by painting a vivid picture for the reader: â€Å"There comes a time when the sun is defiant. We will write a custom essay sample on The Moths or any similar topic only for you Order Now Just about the time when moods change, inevitable seasons of a day, transitions from one color to another, that hour or minute or second when the sun is finally defeated, finally sinks into the realization that it cannot with all its power to heal or burn, exist forever, there comes an illumination where the sun and earth meet, a final burst of burning red orange fury reminding us that although endings are inevitable, they are necessary for rebirths, and when the time came, just when I switched on the light in the kitchen to open Abuelita’s soup, it was probably then that she died† (Viramontes 4).She explains to the reader why the sun causes different shades of red and orange throughout the day, the shades themselves represent a life span of different ages, which turn different colors with the coming seasons â€Å"of the day†, as opposed to the year, at the end of that day the sun dies and a new moon is born in place of that sun, and when a moon dies the sun is re born the next day, and so goes the cycle of life. With this the narrator also states that â€Å"endings are inevitable† and so when we look at the Grandmother we already know that she will die because her end is, as the narrator says â€Å"inevitable†.The final line in the excerpt is perhaps the single most important piece that ties all of the usage of symbolism together. When the narrator turns the light on, a new day has started in the form of a rebirth caused by her Grandmothers death, you see, the moon in the story is not as present as the sun, however, we know that the Grandmother’s name is â€Å"Luna†, which translated in the narrators native tongue of Spanish is â€Å"moon†, we know her language is Spanish because of the consistent use of Latin terms like; â€Å"Placa†, â€Å"Menudo†, or even â€Å"Heliotrope†, which is a native plant of Peru.Since the moon is the polar opposite of the sun we can say that, in the human element of the story there is Grandma Luna which is currently at the ending of her â€Å"moon life† and at the beginning of her rebirth towards a new day as the â€Å"sun†, the light bulb, as a symbol of rebirth representing the sun, appears one more time in the story, where in the wake of her Grandmothers death, the narrator is watching the moths â€Å"fluttering to light†, carrying her Grandmother’s soul to a place were it can become reborn.I believe that the author’s carefully chosen name of â€Å"Luna† for the Grandmother was in fact to show the reader that our death is inevitable but our rebirth in terms of happiness is changeable.Equally important in the story is the use of characterization to show the reader exactly who the protagonist in the story is and what kind of life she is living, we first read of her sisters and how they act in contrast to the protagonist: â€Å"I [the narrator] wasn’t even pretty or nice like my older sisters and I just couldn’t do the girl thi ngs they could do†, the narrator first bluntly tells the reader that she is different from her sisters and then shows the reader exactly how they are not the same through the use of characterization, â€Å"My hands were too big to handle the fineries of crocheting or embroidery and I always pricked my fingers or knotted my colored threads time and time again while my sisters laughed and called me bull hands with their cute waterlike voices. †. With all of this information we can tell that the narrator is having difficulty in her own path and does not feel comfortable in her own body, it seems that she is more of a boy then a girl according to the standards set forth by her mother and father. But why is it that the narrator should conform to these standards? At this point we already know that they are in contrast to each other but the reason as to why is deep rooted through yet another mean, conformity.Her father is very devoted to his religious beliefs and wants his family to conform, â€Å"He would pound his hands on the table, rocking the sugar dish or spilling a cup of coffee and scream that if I didn’t go to mass every Sunday to save my goddamn sinning soul, then I had no reason to go out of the house, period. Punto final. †, the narrator has issues with this because she does not want to conform to something she does not herself believe in. The reader knows she feels uncomfortable in a church because she says â€Å"I was alone. I know why I had never returned† when she went to the chapel, therefore we are left to the conclusion that the narrator has a free spirit that yearns to become free of the beliefs that have been bestowed upon her. In other words she is completely opposite of her entire family, or so we see thus far.Grandma Luna is an interesting character, she does not have many lines in the story but the presentation of her character plays a very important role as to who exactly she is, where she came from, where she is going, but even more important, where she is leading the narrator. The Grandmother’s life parallels that of the narrator in the respect that sometime during her life she was also defiant, â€Å"The scars on her back which were as thick as the life lines on the palms of her hands made me realize how little I really knew of Abuelita†. This line is informative to the narrator, for the first time she realizes that she is not alone in her personal beliefs.She also wants to become free like her Grandmother is, â€Å"I liked her porch because it was shielded by the vines of the chayotes and I could get a good look at the people and car traffic on Evergreen without them knowing†, she likes the porch because the vines are growing in and around her Grandmothers home, she also feels protected by the vines. We also know she cares for her Grandmother, because of the way she talks about her, â€Å"Really, I told my Ama it was only fair†. Even before her realization of Grandma Luna’s defiance the narrator felt a strong connection to her, but seeing the scars she has a great sense of why it is that she gets along so well with her Grandmother. They are both very much alike, and she feels â€Å"safe† around her, â€Å"I [the narrator] always felt her gray eye on me.It made me feel, in a strange sort of way, safe and guarded and not alone. Like God was supposed to make you feel†, the authors choice of the word â€Å"was†, tells us that god does not make her feel safe, instead it is her Grandmother whom she confides in. The narrator herself is defiant and even disrespectful at times, however her defiance is not done without reason; it is done because of her personal beliefs. Her mother and father have strong religious beliefs and try to force those beliefs upon her, when she does not want to conform she fakes going to church and instead, goes over to her Grandmother’s home where she finds comfort in helping her Grandmother with her daily chores.Viramontes chooses to keep the narrator unnamed so that the reader feels like they are taking on the role of the narrator, if she had named her â€Å"Alic e† or â€Å"Lisa† then the audience might not have felt a strong connection with the narrator and the message of rebirth and changing your own mental status to achieve a form of enlightenment, may not have been accomplished. In the end we realize the purpose of the story, it tells about the rebirth any individual can make by changing the way they see the world. The narrator saw the world brand new for the first time in a different light because of her Grandmother’s death and subsequent rebirth through the moths, carrying her soul to â€Å"new light†. It’s not in a literal sense that the narrator is born again; instead it’s more of a mental status change that the narrator has undergone, and because of that she is at peace with herself. How to cite The Moths, Papers The Moths Free Essays â€Å"The Moths† is a short story by Helena Viramontes, which reflects the life led by the Latin American women, and depicts how Chicana women were differentiated because of their sex. Women were exploited because of their gender from most of the organizations like royal families, the church, dictatorial governments, and those women who dared to oppose these organizations and follow their rules were also demoralized. The author also observes, how a women’s reproductive system was also under scrutiny, and how women had to make an effort to achieve power over their own bodies. We will write a custom essay sample on The Moths or any similar topic only for you Order Now The story, unlike the title, is regarding a little girl who has to face the realities of her grandmother’s ailments and death. The title of the story, â€Å"The Moths,† shows how these moths help in depicting a feeling of mysticism, reincarnation, and which in the end become a personification of the grandmother. The connection between the moths and the major characters in the story helps to express the main subject of the feature; the theme is not only the death of a much loved person, but also a sacred and growing experience underwent by the young girl. This story is a perfect example of how a girl fears her father and finds solace with her grandmother. The girl is supposed to follow the principles imposed by her father, who is a strong believer in the effect on society, his public standing and his religious standards. It is clear from this story that the girl is trying to escape the social and religious principles that have been imposed on her, and is looking for someone, to whom she can look up to. And she finds this in her grandmother. Basically the girl’s family was strict, and she and her sisters were terrified of their father. All the girls had to help around the house, and one of the jobs was to do embroidery, at which she was very poor, and her sisters could do it very well, and they in turn made fun of her.â€Å"My hands were too big to handle the fineries of crocheting or embroidery and I always pricked my fingers or knotted my colored threads time and time again while my sister laughed and called me bull hands with there cute waterlike voices†. One can see from the story, that the girl was very troubled and angry with her family, and that she didn’t get along with the family.   This girl was unusual, and she knew that any fault in her day to day chores would only get her whippings.   To help her get out of these whippings, her family would send her to her grandmother’s place, which is where the girl found peace and comfort, which helped her to move closer to her ailing grandmother. The young girl enjoyed in helping her grandmother, and also found out how religious and devout her grandmother was, and how she feared the church.   The young girl remembers how her father would be angry if she didn’t go to the mass on Sunday, and would hurt her, so that she comes to know of the significance of going to church. The stress between the father and daughter was noticeable.   The story also shows how the girl must have been forced to follow the religion and go to church, which also could be the reason for her to revolt against going to church.   By sending the girl to help her grandmother, it favored the girl in such a manner that, she came to know about herself also from her grandmother. The grandmother used very old remedies for most of the physical illnesses which were a result of her sacred and holy nature.   The girl was very doubtful and apprehensive of her grandmother using these practices to cure illnesses, but all these remedies always worked. As a result of which the girl also started following these spiritual beliefs. More importance has been given to the position of a man in this story.   Wherever there is a reference to a male, it is in the negative context only, and shows how men are supposed be more powerful than women. The sole women, who is shown in a different context is the grandmother, who is seen as a nurturer. There is a rude father who is a strong believer in maintaining his stance in the society, for which he even hurts his own children, and there is a mother, who is always abused by her husband.   The grandmother is the only person who tenderly applies medicine to the girl’s hand, which was hurt by her father. The death of the girl’s grandmother makes the girl realize what is right, and think in a matured manner. The girl regrets for not believing her grandmother’s power to heal illnesses by simple remedies. One can notice the regret the girl feels when cleaning the body of her grandmother. â€Å"The scars on her back which were as thin as the life lines on the palms of her hands made me realize how little I really knew of Abuelita†. By reading this line we come to know that how much the girl regretted not appreciating the time she spent with her grandmother, and not having learnt more values in life when her grandmother was strong enough to teach her. In the beginning when the girl goes to stay with her grandmother, she doesn’t feel the necessity to be reassured and doesn’t like to convey her love to the grandmother. But as the grandmother’s end nears, the behavior of the girl towards her grandmother changes, and she reassures her grandmother while bathing her in the tub, and also that she would like to cuddle her grandmother, so that she doesn’t feel lonely. When the grandmother dies, the girl realizes that how lonely it is to die, and also comes to know the fact, the value and affect her grandmother has had on her, and how she would like to be with her forever.   All this shows the changes the girl has undergone, and the rebirth of her. The young girl by taking up the role of a caretaker for her ailing grandmother, made her grow faster, feel a sense of compassion, and makes her realize the importance of being kind and considerate to older people, even when she was facing oppression from the society. There is a noticeable transformation in the girl, in the form of acquiring more knowledge and knowing how to value life after staying with her grandmother. The comparison of the moth to the grandmother is very significant, because it is the influence of the grandmother on the girl that helps are to become more religious and matured.   The reference of the author to the moths as gray, relates the grandmother to the moths by mentioning her aged and dreary eyes. The girl also supports the comparison between her grandmother and the moths, as the girl believes her grandmother is her guardian and light, as she heals her diseases, promotes values and religion in her life. What the girl experiences is an obvious opposition in the values followed by her conservative family and the comparative freedom she gets in her grandmother’s house is not the outcome of a normal pressure prevailing but   it is an existing pressure linking two societies, that of restriction and that of some freedom.   All this type of restriction can be seen when the girl is punished for simple mistakes, and for not attending church. This story also shows the differences between women who lived under restriction and those who were free to do what they wanted. An example for this would be the reference to the girl’s mother, who was always abused and lived under the firm control of her husband, and the grandmother who had the power to cure all illnesses on her own, as she had the freedom to experiment. This shows the cultural boundaries one has created among them. All this shows the prospects and the opportunities of Chicana women, which allows the readers to notice the available choice for women in a particular society, and also notice the way the woman is supposed to perform.   This story shows that in the Latin American  society, any woman cannot break away from the dictatorial rule of a male. But the only opportunity available to a person to convert into a better person would be by taking care of the poor and the elderly, and finding proper opportunities that would put them in comparative role of power, control and authority. Conclusion This story â€Å"The Moths† gives a good message by following the girl’s change by properly dealing with suppression by society, by relative freedom obtained from her grandmother, and the grief of the girl, due to her grandmother’s death.   The author succeeds in showing an appealing change in the girl by the end of the story.   The story describes the girl’s oppression through her father and the society’s culture and religion. And the freedom experienced by the girl while staying with her grandmother. The author succeeds in showing the harsh rearing of the young girl, which reflects the plight of Latin American women. The young girl finds a considerate and caring path due to the freedom she got in the journey of her life. This caring path of life helped her to cure the injuries and the sorrows the she underwent.   The girl’s position was much better when compared to that of her sisters, who had to live within the rules and regulations of the society.   This story is a perfect example of how dictatorship and tyranny change a person and creates pressure between those who don’t like to be dominated, and those who would like to dominate. This story shows the importance of love and caring in a person’s life.   It shows how the girl becomes determined and confident in the end, and how she was not even scared by the death of her grandmother. Staying with her grandmother, made the girl more positive and confident in life, and made her to lead her life with inspiration.   One can see that the girl believed that her grandmother was there with her wherever she went, like a moth. Works Cited Biography, 11 July 2007 Brandon Spontak, Moth: Not just Furry Creatures, 11 July 2007 Christopher Gonzalez, Grandmother knows best, 11 July 2007 Deborah Sharp, Binary Opposition and Social Mobility of â€Å"The Moths†,   11 July 2007 â€Å"The Moths†by Helena Maria Viramontes,   Epipheny2222, 11 July 2007, http://epipheny222.blogspot.com/2006/02/moths-by-helena-maria-viramontes.html. Form and Content, enotes.com, 11 July 2007 How to cite The Moths, Essay examples