Student Question
What is the significance of the sand in "The Train from Rhodesia"?
Quick answer:
In "The Train from Rhodesia," sand symbolizes the villagers and their organic connection to life and nature, contrasting with the train, which represents the British and their mechanistic culture. Sand embodies the communal and natural aspects of the villagers' lives, while also symbolizing personal defeat and danger inherent in nature, as depicted in the young woman's shameful experience. Thus, sand signifies both unity with nature and the potential for individual vulnerability.
Sand has a very interesting significance in Nadine Gordimer's short story "The Train from Rhodesia." Perhaps the significance of first importance is the sand's significance as a symbol. It is a symbol best understood in contrast to the symbol of the train, which represents the British and their culture. The train also symbolizes the only point of connection and unity between members of the British society; it is an inorganic, mechanistic object and symbol. In contrast to the train, the sand symbolises the villagers in Rhodesia and their connection to each other; it contrasts to the train because sand is organic and natural, a part of life. Sand symbolizes the good of life for the villagers along with their common experience of nature and the forces of life that the villagers all experience. In addition, since the sand can have a dangerous aspect, as can any force or element of nature, sand also symbolizes personal defeats such as the young woman's shame when it "sounded in her ears like the sound of sand, pouring." To summarize, the sand symbolizes life "lapping" around the villagers and connecting them to nature and to each other, while at the same time providing the symbol for individual defeat because of the danger that is inherent in all forces of nature.
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