Walk Two Moons
By Andy Bianchi
Summary
Salamonca Tree Hiddle moves from Bybanks Kentucky a place where she has had man adventures to Euclid Ohio. There she has many more adventures.
Thesis Statement
The author uses three examples of symbolism to help her main character Sal overcome personnal tragedies in her life.
Tulips
Tulips are a symbol that makes Sal remember good and bad things about her life in Bybanks Kentucky. Sals mom has just had a miscarraige so Sal is sleeping with her to mkae her feel better but they wake up with blood everywhere so her mom and dad go to the hospital whre her mom has to operation. ""We should name the baby anyway." he said. "Do you have any suggestions?" The name came to me from the air. "Tulip."" (pg 149) Sals mom is explaining to Sal that she can't go with her on the trip and that she had to go alone. "She said she would be back before the tulips bloomed." (pg 110) Tulips are very important symbols because they remind Sal of very sad times in her life. She named her little sister tulip. Her mom said she would come back when the tulips bloomed. Tulips bloom every year even if u didnt plant any bulbs again. But the baby named Tulip never came back and even though Sal's mom said she would come back when the tulips bloomed she never came back. Tulips are so beautiful but they represent bad stuff that has happened in sals life.
Singing Trees
The singing tress come back to sal all throughout the book. Sal has just been driven down to her mothers grave by a police officer. " The birdsong came from the top of a willow and i did not want to look to closely, because i wanted it to be the tree that was singing." (pg 268). Sal is just getting out of the hospital with Gram and Gramps when she hears a birdsong that sounds exactly like the one from Bybanks. When she has a flashback to when she was young and heard the most beautiful birdsong coming from a tall Aspen but she could not find the bird that was singing it so it looked like the tree itself was singing. "The longer I stared up at the leaves the more it seemed that it was the tree itself that was singing." Sal also believes that her mom isn't dead but she is singing in a tree by her grave.
Blackberries
Blackberries remind sal of weird things. Like that every tree she has kissed has a little taste of blackberry. Pheobe has just walked to the tree that her mom just kissed. "I probably imagined this, but i thought i could detect a small dark stain, as from a blackberry kiss". (pg 122) Sal is laying in bed thinking of the blackberry pie when she has a flash back to when her mom was pregnant and her dad put flowers in their drinks and then they go looking for him and hes standing infront of a bunch of flowers. "It is suprising all the thinks you remember just by eating a blackberry pie." The blackberries always remid sal of her mother because she loved picking them and eating them. Blackberries are both good and bad they are good because they remind sal of her mother but that wasnt good until she saw her grave.
Conclusion
Symbolism is very important in this book and there are three main symbols tulips, singing trees, and blackberries. Symbolism is very important because they help the main character Sal be at peace with all the sadness she has. They also help her face some challenges.