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"I sat on a chair inside the pulpit, eating fried chicken and bread. The people were still laughing and talking. Just outside the pulpit was the little pine Christmas tree with its green and red stripes of crepe paper for light, its bits of lint cotton for snow, and the narrow strings of tinsel for icicles. And there was the lone gift against the tub of dirt."
-Grant's thought about the Christmas tree his class got
This quote seems like Grant is just describing a tree, but I took it to mean more than that. I see it as a symbolic look on his community. The tree is nothing spectacular. Nothing beautiful, or extravagant, yet to his students, it was the best tree ever. That's like his community. It is made up of 'the basics.' Nobody is rich, nor are they the best looking. But to the people who make up the community, it is the best thing ever.
Now the present I took to mean one of two things. Either the gift represents Grant, and his gift he can give to the community, knowledge and pride. Or it can represent Jefferson, meaning he is the lone diamond in the rough. The innocent in a jail full of guilty. Which he really is innocent. He was just with the wrong people, in the wrong place. Being a present among a pile of dirt, means he stand out as something good and wanted.
"Charlie Brown Christmas Tree." Russell J.T. Dyer. Web. 10 Jul 2011. <http://russell.dyerhouse.com/images/notices/charlie_brown_cartoon_christmas_tree.jpg>.
Hmm can this be a representing of how the black community has for long just settled for less? How does Grant view the tree specifically is it in a positive manner or a negative manner? How do other major characters (Lou, Emma, Vivian, and Ambrose) react to the tree? What is the fate of the tree in the end?
ReplyDeleteNothing more is said about the tree. Grant really just regards it as just a tree, not the best there is, but fitting for the kids. I might have been way over-reaching with the symbols, but I felt like the tree actually stood for something other than just Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI read your blog and saw your comment about my Charlie Brown Christmas tree. When I was reading about how the children had had some pretty rough trees in the past, and felt like the one was perfect (even though the description made it sound a bit dingy), it reminded me of how Charlie was proud of his little tree, even though people laughed at him about it. You were right, I'll always be able to piece together what the tree looked like a meant just by looking at the picture. Just wanted to make sure YOU understood where my line of thinking was. I can be random, but most everything I say usually has a purpose.
I completely understood the idea and that's why I mentioned it. It was a brilliant choice to remember the significance of the tree scene. You are truly creating a piercing sword and a fortified shield.
ReplyDeleteLooking back I see that my praise might have been clearer if I had started a new paragraph on the blog with a more powerful transition. Let me go remedy that and make it clearer.
ReplyDelete