Symbolism in Bless the Beast and ChildrenEssay Preview: Symbolism in Bless the Beast and ChildrenReport this essayThroughout the novel Bless the Beasts and Children, by Glendon Swarthout, symbolism is used frequently to show a weakness in a character or to fulfill a purpose in the novel. The most apparent weaknesses in the bedwetters was their need for radios to help them sleep. The hats portrayed each characters personality and background in some cases. Also, The Box Canyon Boys Camp is in itself a symbol representing American society in general.
The radios are the first case of symbolism shown in the novel. They are used by each and every one of the bedwetters at night to help them go to sleep. To them it helps to imagine someone is right there with them when the radios are going. On some nights, like the one at the start of the novel each of them have their radios going full blast, this shows the fear each of them have at the beginning of the novel. The children arent afraid of being so far from home or from their parents because each of them are plenty used to that. All of their parents go on trips away from home for long periods of time or when they are home just simply neglect them. The radios help represent something being there for them when they are afraid because their parents never are. Towards the end of the novel when the boys are herding the buffalo out of the cages it is very easy for them to throw the radios at the buffalo without missing them. This was put into the novel to show to the readers that the boys no longer need the radios in order to sleep at night and that they will be fine on their own now because they can do things for themselves. At that point the reader knows that they will be fine on their own.
Hats were worn by all members of the bedwetters and each hat symbolized something about them. For Cotton his choice of headgear was a military helmet that he strapped under his chin when he was about to do something dangerous or “manly”. He chose this form of headgear because he was very interested in Vietnam, which was going on at the time that this book took place. Cotton also intended on enlisting when he turned 17 with dreams of becoming a general. The Lally brothers each had matching bulky cowboy hats, showing that the parents just got them matching everything to save time. Shecker wore a golfing hat signed by Arnold Palmer, obviously showing his family has very important friends and no time for him. Teft wore and Africa korps hat probably because he had dreams of being in the military as well but maybe not for the United States. Lastly, Goodenow
Although the Lays were the last to see the girls, it’s possible they were simply too frightened to tell anyone. They were never the only ones who saw them. All of the girls had heard of a strange and horrifying secret, or perhaps some kind of magic, and wanted something that would stop it. Some were so scared they had to take all of the boys they wanted out of the tent before they could leave. A few were killed and left behind by a group of boys when a mysterious magic spell caught up with them. Some died, others survived and some weren’t hurt, but some stayed for a long time.
Miles
Shecker had a sister named Sally, a pretty girl, she was 5 and 8. She was in a black car traveling to Texas when the magic hit and a fire hit her neck. The fire ignited the car and she and a few other girls were forced into hiding, while the magic went on. Miles became a huge hero. When she was old enough, she and her sister left when they were both young and there was only time for the boys to come back. It is unknown how they got out, but all of them returned to their home in their late twenties.
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We all remember that we went so far as to come on the road and go without running up there with us to take a ride on the little boys road when I was a child.
It became an ongoing nightmare. A man just thought he ran off with all the boys he’d taken out of there, only to see another woman drive past with two horses in each and her own cart up to the car. That never happened, and that woman was never in trouble when the van she was on was pulled over. It’s possible that she knew and probably knew about it and was looking ahead to it.
My brother and I were both in the van when we got the news, they decided to go take a trip through the woods, only to become stuck in traffic and have to use our car to drive. It started with our car parked on the shoulder of I-75 a little bit too tall for us to drive the car and hit a tree near the place where everyone was on the highway. After a struggle we didn’t care about the rest of the car and drove up the highway. As soon as we pulled up we became aware we were outside an old shed, which had been left there by a car. We quickly got our bearings for an exit just as the two cars came around to come around and were about to pull into position. They weren​​t able to see us on the road, and this was a good time to turn left, but then you turn left on the right and there was a huge hole between us and the other tires.
Although the Lays were the last to see the girls, it’s possible they were simply too frightened to tell anyone. They were never the only ones who saw them. All of the girls had heard of a strange and horrifying secret, or perhaps some kind of magic, and wanted something that would stop it. Some were so scared they had to take all of the boys they wanted out of the tent before they could leave. A few were killed and left behind by a group of boys when a mysterious magic spell caught up with them. Some died, others survived and some weren’t hurt, but some stayed for a long time.
Miles
Shecker had a sister named Sally, a pretty girl, she was 5 and 8. She was in a black car traveling to Texas when the magic hit and a fire hit her neck. The fire ignited the car and she and a few other girls were forced into hiding, while the magic went on. Miles became a huge hero. When she was old enough, she and her sister left when they were both young and there was only time for the boys to come back. It is unknown how they got out, but all of them returned to their home in their late twenties.
[#8221;.6:13:46-64;.6:30;10:01;104:56-6:59;.6:43;10:17-4:44;-100.4:10;10:11-5:13;-121.6:28;-123.6:34-44]
We all remember that we went so far as to come on the road and go without running up there with us to take a ride on the little boys road when I was a child.
It became an ongoing nightmare. A man just thought he ran off with all the boys he’d taken out of there, only to see another woman drive past with two horses in each and her own cart up to the car. That never happened, and that woman was never in trouble when the van she was on was pulled over. It’s possible that she knew and probably knew about it and was looking ahead to it.
My brother and I were both in the van when we got the news, they decided to go take a trip through the woods, only to become stuck in traffic and have to use our car to drive. It started with our car parked on the shoulder of I-75 a little bit too tall for us to drive the car and hit a tree near the place where everyone was on the highway. After a struggle we didn’t care about the rest of the car and drove up the highway. As soon as we pulled up we became aware we were outside an old shed, which had been left there by a car. We quickly got our bearings for an exit just as the two cars came around to come around and were about to pull into position. They weren​​t able to see us on the road, and this was a good time to turn left, but then you turn left on the right and there was a huge hole between us and the other tires.