Symbolism In Christopher Mccandless 'Dying'

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A Dying Tradition and the Struggle for Existence The beauty of life is that everyone is free to make his or her own choices about life and what circumstances make them happy or unhappy. Christopher McCandless, famous for his Alaskan adventure in April 1992, writes: “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future… The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon,…show more content…
Faulkner’s use of the color white in this story is to represent the innocence and youth of Emily’s traditional past, before she falls victim to herself. Later Miss Emily is described to have worn all black attire and her eyes looked like to lumps of coal. Yellow is an attention getting color which may represent happiness and cheerfulness but on the other hand may also represent caution, deceit, and sickness. The use of the color is rather intriguing. The yellow glove Homer wore on his and Miss Emily’s buggy rides represents the friendliness of Homer that the town seemed to enjoy but the yellow pillow that Miss Emily’s head rested on when she passed most likely represented her mental state at that time. Lastly there is the color red. Red is the color of love and the bedroom in the upstairs of the house was decorated in red symbolizing her love for Homer. Through color, Homer Barren, and Mrs. Emily’s house and actions symbolism is used to express the different perspectives of new and old generations ideas on changes in society. Emily staying true ideals and traditions. There will always be a definite contrast between the old and new generations attitudes to changes in society. Staying true or holding on to traditions and values isn’t always a bad thing. Many holidays celebrated centuries ago are still celebrated today and the 4th of July firework tradition may never die. However, as Kennedy once said “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” And without change we may not progress, so may we find a way to “…plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” (Alan
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