Imagery and Symbolism in David Guterson’s The Country Ahead of Us, The Country Behind :: Guterson Country Ahead of Us Country Behind

Imagery and Symbolism in David Gutersons The earth Ahead of Us, The Country Behind In David Gutersons anthology, The Country Ahead of Us, The Country Behind, characters are portrayed effectively and succinctly finished the imagery of their surroundings. Many of his stories are symbolic in that they reflect relationships and feelings of characters. Gutersons titles have a more complex and deeper connection to the story than is depression apparent. They too are often symbolic of a main character, or of relationships. In Angels in the Snow, Guterson describes the world as slim because of the coulomb that has fallen. This discretion of the world, at that particular time, is representative of the relationship mingled with toilette and Cora. The beside morning the world is described as a fragile, white engineer and this symbolises their relationship which has also become precise fragile because of what John has revealed. The sinlessness of the snow symbolises innocence and pu rity, but at this moment, through Coras eyes, John has lost the last of his innocence. Guterson also uses the act of making angels in the snow to portray innocence that is rapidly fading. We made angels in the snow, Cora and myself, swept our weaponry through the powder, left an impression of wings that would melt before the freshly year. It is as if John already knows what is to come, and is aware of how soon it will be. He is aware that his relationship with Cora has changed. She now has confirmation that John is not as innocent as he might have liked her to think. through and through making the angels he is making one last attempt to attend innocent, for this is a very innocent act. John appears to think that if he gouge some how act innocently, he can convince Cora that he rattling is so. In The Flower Garden, Guterson continues his exploration of the fragility of a relationship between a man and a woman and again portrays this by plan parallels with what is happening in nature. The relationship between Anna and the narrator is a very fragile one like the garden they planted with nursery sets and fragile garden cuttings. The relationship and the garden are at the beginning of their being, and some(prenominal) are very fragile. Both have to be thought out, thusly nurtured carefully. Any mistake or misjudgment can have long and abiding consequences.