Discussion Topic
Significance of "And the summer was over" in Alice Walker's "The Flowers"
Summary:
In Alice Walker's "The Flowers," the phrase "and the summer was over" symbolizes the end of innocence for the protagonist, Myop, a 10-year-old African American girl. Initially, Myop experiences carefree joy in nature, but her discovery of a lynched man's body abruptly shatters her innocence. This metaphorical end of summer signifies Myop's confrontation with the harsh realities of racial violence and societal cruelty, marking her transition from childhood innocence to a more somber understanding of the world.
What is the significance of "and the summer was over" in Alice Walker's "The Flowers"?
The protagonist of Alice Walker's short story The Flowers is an innocent, playful 10-year-old African American girl named Myop, a particularly unusual name derived from the word "myopia," or short-sighted. As Walker's story progresses, she propels Myop through a daily routine involving life's little summertime pleasures, such as playing in fields, picking flowers, and just enjoying the warmth of the day. Walker emphasizes her protagonist's innocence and joy, writing "The harvesting of the corn and cotton, peanuts and squash, made each day a golden surprise that caused excited little tremors to run up her jaws." Myop's adventures continue to occupy her day, but Walker's narrative begins to take a decidedly ominous turn, as the young girl wanders further from home:
"By twelve o'clock, her arms laden with sprigs of her findings, she was a mile or more from home. She had often been as far before, but the strangeness of...
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the land made it not as pleasant as her usual haunts. It seemed gloomy in the little cove in which she found herself. The air was damp, the silence close and deep."
With this transition from the known and comfortable to the unknown and increasingly frightening, Walker is taking her protagonist through an evolutionary process defined by the seasons. Summer is synonymous with play and warmth but, as everyone knows, seasons change and summer will most assuredly come to an end. That end is marked by the girl's discovery that she has stumbled upon the remains of a lynched black man. This discovery marks the end of Myop's innocence and, metaphorically-speaking, the end of the season of fun and innocence. The realities of the world in which she lives have caught up to her, and Walker's final sentence, "and the summer was over," is intended to emphasize that loss of innocence.
What does the line "And the summer was over" signify at the end of "The Flowers"?
This line represents the theme and the conflict resolution simultaneously. The theme is the loss of innocence, seen in Myop's abrupt realization of the evil that men are capable of. At the same time, the line reflects the resolution of the conflict -- Myop is unable to gather flowers in the same carefree manner as before. Furthermore, she is unsuccessful in bringing flowers home at all this particular day. Beyond these meanings, the line also evokes an archetypal image of summer. Summer is often connected to youth, simplicity, and innocence. These connections are all seen in the final line if the story, helping the audience to arrive at the understanding of theme.
Why does "The Flowers" end with "And the summer was over"?
"The Flowers" by Alice Walker is a powerful short story about a young girl's discovery of death in the beauty of nature. I believe the answer to your question lies in the setting itself.
At the beginning of the story, we can tell that summer is in full swing. It's harvest time for peanuts, corn, cotton, and squash, and each day is a "golden surprise." Myop, the little girl, feels "light and good in the warm sun." As she walks home through the woods, Myop gathers pretty fern leaves and a bouquet of flowers. All of this speaks to the lush nature of the summer season and to life itself.
Then, Myop comes across the corpse. At first she is merely observant but unafraid. Upon seeing a rose, though and wanting to pluck it, she discovers the remains of a noose. It is then that she realizes the man was a victim of hanging; likely he was murdered. She abandons the rose there, along with all her other flowers.
Summer is over in the same way her innocence is gone. Summer is a time of joy and carefree living, but after her experience, Myop can no longer see things that way. The beauty of a summer rose will forever be tainted by the noose around its roots.