Symbolism for Walk Two Moons
by: Brooke Erickson
Walk Two Moons
by: Sharon Creech
Sal on a roadtrip
Her grandparents and her are driving down to Lewiston, Idaho, to see her mother.
Walk Two Moon Quotes
This is one of the mysterious letters Phoebe and Sal received on their porch.
Summary of Walk Two Moons
Sharon Creech's novel, Walk Two Moons, is about a 13 year old girl named Salamanca, known as Sal. While she's on a road trip with Sal's grandparents to Lewiston, Idaho to search for her mother's grave, she discusses the story of another girl named Phoebe Winterbottom. A lunatic, disappearing mother, and complicated decisions.
Thesis Statement of the Novel
Throughout the novel, Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech uses symbolism to represent memories of the distant past that relates to certain characters.
Tulips--Symbolism #1
In the book, Walk Two Moons, a common symbol is tulips. The first time tulips were mentioned in the book, was when Gram gets married and a song that involves tulips started to play. "Behind them, everyone was singing, "Oh meet me, in the tulips, when the tulips, when the tulips do bloom-" This is what they always sing at weddings when the married couple leaves." (Creech 78) Apart from this, Sharon Creech mentions tulips again when Sal's mom left, leaving Sal confused. "She wanted me to know that she would think of me every minute and that she would be back before the tulips bloomed." (Creech 110) Tulips are talked about in the joining or being apart from people that you love and are very close to each other. When Gram and Gramps got married, the song involving tulips represents happiness, hope, and being together as one. Using tulips in Walk Two Moons helps the reader understand and gather more meaning from Sal's family.
Blackberries--Symbolsim #2
Throughout the novel, Walk Two Moons, a symbol discussed a lot is blackberries. The first time the symbol blackberries was mentioned was when Sal's mother picks them with her. "And then I started thinking about the blackberries, and I remembered a time my mother and I walked around the rims of the fields and postures in Bybanks, picking blackberries." (Creech 32&33) In addition to this, blackberries were also mentioned when Sal's mother when Sal's mother left her and her dad blackberries on their kitchen counter in the morning. "The next morning when I went into the kitchen, my father was standing beside the table looking at two small dishes of blackberries - still shiny and wet with dew - one dish at his place and one at mine." (Creech 35) Blackberries are talked about when someone is searching for forgiveness and hope. When Sal's mom was picking blackberries with Sal, it represents hope. When Sal's mom left blackberries on the counter for Sal and her dad, it represented forgiveness. Using blackberries in the Walk Two Moons book improved it because because it shows the bonding moments between Sal and her mother.