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- Symbolism in ôStrange News From Another Starö
- Symbolism in ôStrange News From Another Starö
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- ôStrange News from another Starö is found to be a story which contains
- numerous symbols which in many cases contain some important, abstract
- information. Symbolism is something which is very difficult to explain
- due to the fact that not everyone sees the so mentioned symbol. They
- donÆt quite see it as you, because no two minds are the same, which
- implies the fact that they donÆt react equally to something which must
- be internally interpreted as it is not present as mere information. On
- this essay I will try to back up with concise words, why I believe that
- something is representing something abstract, as well as with
- information from the author.
- One of the first symbols that we may find, is actually the star. A
- star is known as a gaseous sphere, which with nuclear fusion and fission
- may actually give out huge amounts of energy. Obviously a star is a
- inhospitable place, so I believe that the star actually represents a
- planet or a country.
- The flowers, which have a very important part in the plot of the book
- are a symbol as well. They, have always, as least as far as I know, had
- a special message. A message of love, tranquillity, joy and they
- represent the harmony of nature itself. In the first stage of the book,
- we may see how a problem, the earthquake, has made the people in the
- star loose a vast amount of flowers. They lost some of the tranquillity
- and joy that had invaded their lives. And when they look for a messenger
- to go find flowers, theyÆre talking about re-finding the tranquillity
- and lack of fear that they wanted.
- I believe that the burials, actually represent life. It may sound a bit
- peculiar, but in real life once you get accustomed to living a happy,
- joyful life, you then will not be able to live without it and so, you
- will need to do practically anything, as the people in the star did, to
- find the ôflowersö.
- The symbol of the deity that the youth saw in the temple, I understand
- that by the way in which the story progresses the symbol is actually
- representing the fact that war, or trouble (the bird of prey) destroys
- all happiness or good hearted feelings. I think that the representation
- is what I mentioned above, because when the messenger ôgoesö to the
- foreign star he sees destruction and a total lack of joy.
- We may find another symbol which goes from pages 55-59. ItÆs the
- conversation that the youth holds with the king whoÆs nation is in war.
- ItÆs apparently a symbol because even-though it has important, concrete
- information for the story, thereÆs more to the phrases themselves. They
- can be abstracted and thatÆs when I see that the conversation is
- actually trying to explain the way in which the humanity is being
- erratic by trying to find happiness. To achieve happiness, you must
- first get rid of sadness, poverty, trouble, etc (war is the symbol used
- to represent all of them). It may not be found just by ignoring the
- others. In the kingÆs star they werenÆt happy because all of the nouns
- mentioned above were present. A proof of that may be the fact that when
- trouble, the earthquake, arouse in the province of the youth then they
- lost the peace and tranquillity, represented by the flowers that they
- had had.
- And ultimately I will mention the symbol which the black bird
- represents, itÆs what I believe is the image of the harshness, horror
- and terror of war. Which may reach such levels of futility that it may
- apparently only be seen as a dream, or even more correct, would be to
- say that itÆs like a nightmare.