Walk Two Moons Symbolism
By Alex Senaldi
Walk Two Moons Summary
Sharon Creech's novel, Walk Two Moons is about a thirteen year old girl named Sal. She drives across the country to Lewiston, Idaho with her grandparents to see her mother's grave. On her trip, Sal tells a story about her friend Phoebe, the lunatic, and Phoebe's disappearing mother.
Thesis Statement
Throughout the novel Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech uses symbolism to add depth to the story and help the reader understand characters feelings more.
Blackberries
One of the symbols Sharon Creech uses in her novel is blackberries. Sal has many loving memories with her mother that include blackberries. Sal remembered picking blackberries with her mom in the fields and talking lots with her. Another time there were two plates of blackberries left on Sal's kitchen table. "Thanks" Sal said Sal. "No, it wasn't me, it wasn't me. It was your mother," said her dad. (Creech 35) In Sal's school journal, she wrote about her mothers blackberry kiss. One day, her mother kissed a tree, and later that day, Sal kissed the same spot. "She took several quick steps up to the trunk of the maple, threw her arms around it and kissed that tree soundly." (Creech 122) Sal thought she tasted blackberries. Ever since then, she's kissed many trees and they have all seemed to taste like blackberries. Blackberries represent Sal and her mothers loving relationship. All of the parts mentioned above talking about blackberries are memories of Sal and her mom spending quality time together.
Tulips
Another symbol that occurs frequently throughout the book is tulips. Sal's mother told Sal that she would return home before the tulips bloom, but she never came back. It is also used when Sal's dad asks what the Sal's little sister's (the baby who died) name should be. "We should name the baby anyway, do you have any suggestions?" Sal replied, "Tulip." (Creech 149) Lastly, when gram passed away, she was buried in the aspen grove where the tulips grow. (Creech 274) Tulips were related to Sal's mother, Gram, and the baby were all related to tulips and they were all taken away from Sal. Tulips represent loss.