Style and Technique: Symbolism

Style and Technique: Symbolism

Overview: Symbolism

• In “The Cone Gatherers”, Robin Jenkins employs symbolism profoundly to enhance the narrative’s depth and underline the key themes.

The Forest: A Symbolic Setting

• The forest serves as a principal symbol representing the world in microcosm, with all its complexities, conflicts, and diversity.
• It stands for both a calming sanctuary and a fearsome battleground, where characters act out the struggle between good and evil.
• The towering trees in the forest symbolise societal hierarchy, with cone gatherers literally at the bottom, reflecting their low social status.

Deer Drive: Symbol of Class Struggle

• The deer drive chapter of the novel serves as a rich symbolic tableau of the class struggle.
• The arrangement of the beaters, gunmen, and the deer forms a symbol of the social hierarchy, with the deer representing the weak and vulnerable.
• The violent drive and its aftermath serve to underscore the inherent flaws and injustices in societal structures.

The Beach Hut: Human Vanity and Transience

• The beach hut symbolises human vanity and attempts to impose order on nature, reflecting Duror’s desire for control.
• It also stands as a symbol of transience and change, first offering shelter and then eventually being swept away by the storm.

The Cones: Symbols of Innocence and Natural Order

• The tree cones the brothers gather are potent symbols of innocence, regeneration, and natural order.
• They underscore the theme of continuity in nature and highlight the towering trees’ inevitable decay, further echoing the themes of mortality and change.

Conclusion

• The use of symbolism in “The Cone Gatherers” enriches the narrative, imbuing it with a deeper meaning.
• This literary technique allows Jenkins to explore complex themes such as social class, human vanity, natural order, and the transient nature of life.