View a FREE sample

1. What images of death does the story open with?

The story opens with a description of the family's garden at the end of summer. The flowers are rotting and overgrown with weeds. There is an empty bird's nest that is compared to an empty cradle, and the smell of flowers from the family graveyard fills the air.

2. Where is the grindstone and what is its symbolic meaning?

The grindstone, in the narrative present, sits where the bleeding tree once was during the narrator's childhood. Because it alludes to a famous quote about the "mills of God" grinding slowly, it means that it might take a while, but eventually people are punished for their evil actions. When the narrator hears the grindstone, it makes him think of his own evil actions that resulted in his brother's death.

3. What is the family's reaction to Doodle when he is born?

When Doodle is born, Mama and Daddy do not think that he will live, and so Daddy has a coffin built for him. Brother is disappointed, because he wants a brother who can play with him. Aunt Nicey has a totally different reaction: because Doodle is born "under a caul," she thinks he is special and should be treated with respect.

(read all 60 Short Essay Questions and Answers)

This section contains 1,882 words (approx. 7 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample