Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Assignment #6 Explore the significance/symbolism of the Nagaumsett. (Alexsa)
The Nagaumsett is a very symbolic thing beside the Devon school as John Knowles shows its darkness relating to the war. The River is seen as ugly and dark. No one at The Devon School liked it and thought it could resemble war. It's like a river of mud compared to Devon. The Devon river is seen as pure and healthy. Gene says, “It was ugly, saline, fringed with marsh, mud and seaweed,” (Knowles 76). This quote shows how disgusting and the idea that is could symbolize the war. On the other side though, the Devon River would symbolize peace and more of a happy side. Gene also says, “A few miles away it was joined to the ocean, so that its movements were governed by unimaginable factors like the Gulf Stream, the Polar Ice Cap, and the moon,” (Knowles 76). Knowles is showing the symbolism of the Nagaumsett in this quote by saying that the river was technically uncontrollable and/or even unpredictable just like the war. You can’t control a whole river and you can’t control a whole war. Knowles is showing how nature and real life ecosystems can be compared to an “ugly” river. The Nagaumsett could also symbolize the thoughts Gene has about his and Finny’s friendship. There’s two sides; The Devon River and then The Nagaumsett. The Devon can symbolize the happiness and truthfulness of their friendship, but the Nagaumsett could represent the complete opposite. It would symbolize how Gene is jealous of Finny or even how he feels like he has no control over the friendship and how controlling Finny really is. Finny says, “Listen, pal, if I can’t play sports, you’re going to play them for me...to become a part of Phineas,” (Knowles 85). This quote is showing how Finny wants Gene to be just like him, but Gene really doesn’t want that. He’s afraid to tell Finny that though. As you can see the river can symbolize many things, including war and friendship/rivalry.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree, that the river could represent war, but maybe it could also represent maturity. The beautiful, freshwater Devon river, represents youth and innocence, while the dirty, saltwater Nagaumsett river represents adulthood. A young boy is innocent and naive, living in his own little bubble, like the Devon river. Once he becomes an adult, his mind becomes tarnished, he finally sees the real world for what it really is. he becomes connected to adulthood kind of like how the Nagaumsett is connected to the ocean, and all the dirt and seaweed from the ocean dirties the ocean just as all the war and conflict flowing in from the real world dirties the young boy's mind.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with how the Nagaumsett river can be seen as the ugly war around the world, and Devon can be seen as the nice school in the middle of all of it. The wealthier, higher classed kids go to Devon, escaping the war while everyone else is "in the river" and getting caught up in everything that is happening in the war. When Gene is at the river for crew, he observes the river and how it compared to the river near Devon, "It was nothing like the fresh-water Devon above the dam where we'd had so much fun, all the summer," (Knowles 76). The dam acts like the fences of Devon, where the division is between the fancy Devon school and the ugly and dangerous war. The boys at Devon have basically been brainwashed by not learning the realities of life and what it's like to live through a war.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alexsa that the Naguamsett river represents the war thats going on in the outside world, while Devon is a happy little bubble that lets its inhabitants live without feeling the pressure of the war. The Devon River is a calm and bubbly river, and represents the innocents of the boys at the Devon School. On the other hand, the Naguamsett represents the conflict that the boys will have to face once they leave the school. The Devon River also represents the summer session that the boys enjoyed together, and once again the Naguamsett represents the upcoming challenges that they will have to face. Gene describes the Devon river as the place "where we'd had so much fun, all the summer"(Knowles, 76). After leaving the comfort and peace of Devon, the boys will need to learn the conflict and demoralization of the war.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alexsa that the Naguamsett river represents war, but I feel that it can represent experience in a way as well. The river is shown as worn down and dirty symbolizing war, but I think experience comes with war. It makes it seem like the river has been through something. It makes it seem like the river has been there through things that have happened in the past, and the river being dirty shows the time and experience and the things that have happened to the river. I also think that the Devon river, like others have said, represents the school and it's neatness and the children, and that the Naguamsett river represents reality, war.
ReplyDelete