The Grave by Katherine Anne Porter - Book Report/Review Example

Inserts His/her Inserts Inserts Grade (25, 10, The Grave Introduction The Grave, penned byKatherine Anne Porter, is a famous short story in which the author has used the technique of symbolism to the best of her ability. Through symbols the author has put various layers of meaning for the readers in the short story. ‘The Grave’ is a small story but it has a great impact on the hearts and minds of the readers. The use of items like dove and ring is intentionally as the author attempts to pass on her messages through these inanimate objects. The development of the story from beginning to end is such that it keeps the readers interested in the story at all times. ‘The Grave’ communicates many themes and we will, in this essay, attempt to highlight some of those themes in detail. The story is mainly telling that there is always life after death, and that life is of a cyclical nature. We will attempt to prove this through our analysis of the story. The story is about two siblings Paul and Miranda, and their experience which they gained from a hunting trip. The story has many themes hidden in its portrayal of Miranda. The two siblings found two items, a dove and a ring, from the emptied graves of their grandfather. After this discovery, they went to hunt and Paul was successful in hunting down a rabbit, which turns out to be a pregnant female. This hunt gave Miranda an experience of womanhood that overcomes her innocence forever. The maturation of Miranda, the cyclic nature of life, and death and recovery are the three major themes dominating the story and each will be discussed in the paper in detail. Maturation of Miranda: From Innocence to Womanhood The character of Miranda is the main focus of the story. She is a nine year old girl that is out on a hunting trip with her brother, but seems to be more interested in firing than hunting. She is out to hunt but actually is fascinated by the sound of gunshot and likes to walk around. Her brother is a hunter and acts as a protector of Miranda. The portrayal of Miranda in the beginning depicts the innocent nature of the girl. She is child that is fascinated by travelling on foot and shooting. She is also keen to discover new things. Overall she is introduced in the story as an innocent child that is free from all defects. The innocence of Miranda is clearly depicted during the hunt when her brother tells her not to fire aimlessly at anything. She is an innocent child that, even tough is on a hunting trip, escapes the brutality we generally associate with hunting of animals. But author only builds up the innocence of Miranda to depict her transformation to womanhood. When Miranda finds a dove in the empty grave of her grandfather she is excited. But what excites her even more is the ring that her brother found in the grave. The mere exchange of the two items beautifully depicts the transformation of Miranda from an innocent child to a woman. The ring makes Miranda feel like a woman as she wears the ring thinking about her inappropriate attire. She immediately felts a need of a fresh bath and changing of clothes, both of which are evidence of her newly found womanhood. The transformation of Miranda is not immediate but it happens in a step by step manner. The last stage of maturation of Miranda from an innocent child to a woman comes when her brother kills a pregnant rabbit. The mere sight of the baby rabbits in the belly of the mother invokes strange discomfort in the mind of Miranda. She becomes aware of the process of reproduction and how her own body can give birth to other human beings. The sight it seems snatches every bit of innocence from Miranda and marks the beginning of her journey to womanhood. The maturation of Miranda signifies the continuity of life after death. The death of the female rabbits is followed by the realization of Miranda about her own ability to give life. The author attempts to portray that death is followed by life, and both are a continuing process. The dead rabbit is no longer able to bring life in this world but through the death Miranda becomes aware of the prospect of her ability to bring life into the world. This is the main message that author attempts to communicate through the story. Cyclic Nature of Life The story informs the readers about the cyclic nature of life. The author uses symbolism to the best of her ability as she inculcates all the right symbols at the right time. The empty grave, the dead rabbit, and the discomfort of Miranda after seeing the babies of rabbit all give meaning to the story explain the cyclical nature of life and death. Throughout the story life and death are shown to follow each other. Miranda and Paul, when playing in the grave, are actually portraying that death always follow life. It is not a coincidence that both find something of great meaning in the graves. The ring and the dove are symbols that are shouting liveliness at the top of their voice. The discovery of the dove and the ring is something new for the children. Paul thinks that no one has a dove as he posses and Miranda is also happy about the ring. The significance of the ring is great for Miranda because it also symbolizes the start of her adult life. The possession of the ring makes her feel like a woman for the first time. The inanimate item becomes the main reason of transformation of Miranda into a woman. The ring therefore is a symbol of life itself and its retrieval from the grave signifies the cyclic nature of life and death. Another portray of cyclic nature of life is seen when Miranda displays her social awareness. She, although of nine years of age, understands the world in which she lives. Her understanding of the comments of the old cronies who are reverent to her grandmother, is telling the readers about the social sense of the child. It is informing the readers that after the death of the grandmother, Miranda will be playing the role of a woman in the house. She asks her brother to leave the grave as she realizes that they are trespassing. This level of social sense communicates that Miranda is trying to assume the role of the woman of the house after the death of her grandmother. This is evidence of continuity of life even after the death; the cyclic nature of life. Death and Recovery The dead rabbit is also signifying death and recovery. Rabbit was pregnant when Paul shot her but only found that after skinning the rabbit. The dead body of the rabbit and the baby rabbits inside display both life and death at the same time. The rabbit is dead but his body is still a womb and a tomb for her children. The dead body of the rabbit depicts death and recovery of life in this way. When Paul buries the rabbit, the body of the rabbit serves as a tomb for the children. Death and recovery is also explained by the grave. The discovery of something new from the grave of the grandfather depicts life coming out from something dead. The death, portrayed by grave, is followed by life, depicted by the dove and the ring. Also life is coming out of the dead, and this shows that recovery of life is from the dead. There are two graves in the story; the grandfather’s grave and the rabbit’s grave. Both are symbolizing death and recovery. Death is an inevitable consequence but from death springs the vigor of life. From rabbit’s grave Miranda is transformed, which she only realizes at a later stage in her life. From the grandfather’s grave two objects are found that have meaning. This highlights the cyclic nature of life. Conclusion The story of Katherine Anne Porter is a profound one with many deep meanings. The story, although short, communicates through symbols that death follows life. The circle of life is shown by many underlying themes like maturation of Miranda, death and recovery, and cyclical nature of life. They story uses inanimate objects to pass the message of life and recovery, and that of Miranda’s transformation from innocence to womanhood. The main message of the story is that death is always followed by life, and our existence is of a cyclical nature. Works Cited Page Porter, Katherine Anne. The Grave. From The Collected Stories, New York: Virago Press, 1985. Print Read More