Rouster has a Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition and has published in a number of composition journals. In the following essay he discusses symbolism in "In the Garden of the North American Martyrs."

Tobias Wolff's "In the Garden of the North American Martyrs" was published in his book of short stories, In the Garden of the North American Martyrs: A Collection of Short Stories in 1981. As the title indicates, the story deals with images of martyrdom on this continent. Of the literary devices used in this short story, the dominant one is that of symbolism, which refers to the use of people, objects, creatures, places, and events to represent more than just themselves. Symbolism is one of the most widely used and effective literary devices of all, since many authors wish to give their work greater relevance than just the story that is being told. Therefore...