A Bird in the House

“On the lawn a few wild blue violets dared to grow, despite frequent beheadings from the clanking guillotine lawn mower.”

The personification of the violets as persistent and courageous despite being repeatedly cut down by the lawnmower illustrates the cruelty and dominance of the grandfather figure. The contrast between the flowers’ delicate beauty and the lawnmower’s harsh action emphasizes the oppressive environment the protagonist perceives, portraying her grandfather as a symbol of authority and control.

“The sight frightened me, for I still needed the conviction that no one except myself ever suffered anything.”

The protagonist’s fear of witnessing her mother’s exhaustion reveals her struggle to reconcile her innocence with the harsh realities of life. Through Vanessa’s perspective, the author employs characterization to depict the tension between her desire to shield herself from suffering and her growing awareness of its existence.

 “The air in the bedroom was still sweet and heavy with Attar of Roses.”

The lingering scent of Attar of Roses symbolizes the protagonist’s loss of innocence and the deceptive façade her mother and aunt adopt for self-preservation. Through the contrast between the sweet fragrance and the act of deception, the author employs olfactory imagery to convey the tension between appearance and reality.