Short_Story_Analysis_of__The_Welcome_Table_

I chose to do my analysis of a short story I read in our textbook during week one. The story I chose was by the author Alice Walker and is titled: “The Welcome Table”. This story flared up a lot of emotion in me and I can relate the character to older ancestors that have passed away in my own family, as well as some that are living and tell similar stories as Alice has written. This story is about finding sanctuary before death and finding peace at the end of a life of turmoil and strain. As humans, I think we all wonder what happens the few moments before death and those of us who believe in God wonder how we will be embraced by his Spirit. This story defines that in a glimpse and gives the reassurance that no matter what our loved ones and ourselves face in life and no matter how heavy a burden we carry, on the day our life may end the heaviness will diminish and a higher power will validate us. The theme of this story is seeking that validation and finding a place to rest our worries and burdens when our journey in life is ending. At least for this particular character there was a strong need for her to be close to God so that she could feel loved and be assured that her life had not been in vain. She was waiting to die but wanting to be one with her higher power, her Lord. The author uses a lot of expression to paint the tone of the story and to describe the character. Reading along, you can tell that this woman is nearing death just by subtle hints within the text. The woman has physical characteristics of dying. She appears to be dazed and sleepy, her face is shut down like an ancient door, she staggers to the church, her hands are restless. The author writes that the old lady has ashen skin that is cold and clammy, her face is gray and she is bewildered. The most significant signs of death being imminent are that the woman’s eyes are blue/brown and near blind. Being an African American I have seen this eye color in many of my relatives when they were on their death beds. Their eyes could have been midnight black in younger years but in the few days before natural death their eyes all took on the color blue or gray with a little brown tint. That was always my cue that as a family we only had a few more days, even hours with our loved one. Another detail I found interesting, is that Alice describes the woman’s cheeks as being turned to one side of her face. This to me stood out as a sign that maybe the woman had suffered a stroke and her face was fixed to one side as a result. According to Phillips, author of: Stroke; Data from University of Adelaide Advance Knowledge in Stroke, victims of stroke tend to suffer muscle damage after the stroke has occurred that often stiffens facial muscles and can shift one side of the face to the other. (Phillips, 2012).When the woman was thrown out of the church, the men carrying her transferred her smell to their gloved hands. The smell is described as musky and smelling like rotten greens. It seems as is the fermenting smell is another attempt of the author to identify the woman’s dying. Aside from elements regarding the tone and character of this story, there were also elements of symbolism. As Jesus approaches the lady she sees him as wearing a red cape. In symbolism the color red represents an array of things but our textbook defines the color red as a representation of passion. (Clugston, 2010) Upon doing further research I learned that the color red is also a symbol for many other strong emotions. One of those emotions being love.(Vaz Da Silva, 2007). Anyone reading this story realizes that the character has a very strong passion and love for Christ. So the fact that he appears to her wearing red is self explanatory. He loves all and has the ability to save all. Him being adorned in a cape is also a symbol of security, strength and safety. This woman needed love and she needed rescue from a rough life so Jesus’ red cape makes her safety and love from him to be even more prominent. Also, as her savior approaches her wearing his red cape, he is bearing a blue blanket. Again, our text defines the color blue as a symbol of peace. This character was in such need for peace and was cold from the blustery weather and the looming death her body was undergoing. Jesus holding a blue blanket was a sign of peace and warmth for her. This short story is written in a third person point of view from an omniscient perspective. I say this because the emotions of guilt among the children this woman once worked for and the members of their church are outlined in the writing. You can feel their upset when Alice writes that the people within the church stared at this black woman with contempt. Alice Walker has the church members filled with various emotions, some riddled with guilt, some with pity and others are outraged and feel like this lady may ruin the structure of their church. I feel in some ways this woman pinpoints that specific church for a very specific reason. Although, she wants to go here to be in a blessed place to die in the presence of God, she goes here to solidify her years as a cotton picker and a hard worked house maid. She goes to see if she will be welcomed and greeted as a human instead of a color. If the people within the church had of treated her as a human she may have gotten fulfilled in the church by knowing the burden of being black and overworked in her past were behind her and that she was appreciated in the house of the Lord. In conclusion, this story goes full circle. It is a true portrait of laying your pain on the line and being at peace with life ending. She gave her sorrow to Jesus and was wrapped in his peaceful blanket and saved by his red cape. She was validated, she was loved, she was happy; she was healthy…in death. References Clugston, R.W. (2010). Journey Into Literature. (Ashford University ed.). San Diego, CA. Bridgeport Education Phillips, M.C.L. (2012). Stroke; Data from University of Adelaide Advance Knowledge in Stroke. .Disease Risk Factor Week, 22(26). Retrieved January 9, 2012, from ProQuest Health and Medical Complete. (Document ID: 2553589541). Vaz Da Silva, Francisco. (2007). Red as Blood, White as Snow, Black as Crow. Marvels & Tales. 21(2). 53-58. Retrieved January 9, 2012 from http://wsupress.wayne.edu.