Symbolism in the Book of Embraces Essay | Essay

This student essay consists of approximately 2 pages of analysis of Symbolism in the Book of Embraces.

Symbolism in the Book of Embraces Essay | Essay

This student essay consists of approximately 2 pages of analysis of Symbolism in the Book of Embraces.
This section contains 323 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page)

Symbolism in the Book of Embraces

Summary: An informal essay discussing examples of symbolism in Eduardo Galeano's "The Book of Embraces."
In Eduardo Galeano's Book of Embraces, most of the stories are metaphoric or symbolic. A strong metaphor relating to revolution and leadership is in Chronicle of the City of Havana. When the bus driver stops the bus to chase after a woman he sees on the street, the people at first cheer, and then become impatient, and then a passenger steps forward and becomes the bus driver, taking the same customary route and getting everyone where they need to go. This situation could be paralleled to government, displaying that when a leader neglects the people he is there to serve, someone can easily be found to replace him, thus is revolution.

A metaphor relating to language and life is found in The Passion of Speech. The woman in the story records and reads people's stories to audiences after their deaths, and these people "go on living, go on speaking." This demonstrates that one's voice is their life, and that as long as a person's legacy and voice carries on to impact others, they are not really dead at all.

Chronicle of the City of Mexico contains a metaphor for true courage. The hero of Metropolis is Superman, who is the Man of Steel. However, the hero of Mexico City is not a man of steel, but a regular person standing up for the rights of the downtrodden, symbolic of courage. True courage is not the invincible battling petty foes, but the average and vulnerable fighting against a stronger force in a battle they will almost certainly lose.

In Alienation/3, Galeano demonstrates the growing artificiality of society. The fishermen do not understand the purpose of a rowing machine for exercise, because for them the only joy of rowing is the outdoors and fishing. The rowing machine serves as a symbol for mankind's growing tendency to lead lives of simulation, while the fishermen are the remaining ones who lead lives of true experience.

This section contains 323 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page)
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