Describe symbolism in The Diary of an African Nun by Alice Walker

The African nun longs to know Christ as a lover and give birth to children. However, her desire is in direct conflict with the vows of chastity she has taken as a nun. Her passions are "stifled beneath this voluminous rustling snow!"-a reference to the white robe she wears as a nun. It symbolizes the confinement she feels in her role, while the snow represents barrenness. She comes to believe that barrenness is equivalent to waste and death. The mountains by the village are covered in snow, except in the spring when they are used to bear fruit. The African nun views herself as a mountain perpetually covered in snow. She longs for her own "spring" to come when the snow will melt and she can have children, the renewal of life. In the end, the African nun denies her desire to join the "dance of life," which represents the earthly pleasures of making love and having babies, and resigns herself to a life of self-sacrifice in what she feels is her duty to her God and the church.