Describe symbolism in Black Boy by Kay Boyle

Boyle makes use of a great deal of symbolism and imagery in the story. The slow movement of the waves of the Atlantic Ocean is evoked through her comparison of them to "indolent" ladies who "gathered up their skirts in their hands and, . . . came tiptoeing in across the velvet sand." The dogs "wheeled like gulls." The narrator's horse is likened to a shy bird.

The black boy is also described in comparison to other key elements of the story. His neck is long and shapely, more so even than a white man's. His fingers "ran in and out of the sand like the blue feet of a bird." This phrase is perhaps most important because it has both a positive and a negative slant. On the positive side, Boyle compares the boy to an animal, and she infuses animals with worthy attributes throughout the story. On the negative side, Boyle also implicitly equates the boy with the narrator's horse, since both of them are likened to birds. This comparison reinforces the idea that on the boardwalk above, the boy, doing the work of a horse, is regarded as little more than an animal that provides a physical service.