Miss Johnson in "Going to the Moon"
Miss Johnson in Going to the Moon
Many authors use symbols as a device in their texts. In “Going to the Moon”, by Nina Ricci, symbolism is used to illuminate the themes and provide a deeper meaning to the short story. The teacher in the short story, Miss Johnson is the most important symbol. Miss Johnson is a necessary symbol because she represents important themes throughout, including the connection between the narrator and his peers, hope for the narrator and acceptance of the narrator.
Miss Johnson represents the single connection that the narrator and his peers share, providing a sense of security for the boy to avoid humiliation and teasing. The narrator and his classmates both share a deep love for Miss Johnson: “I felt protected in that common love, in the importance I gained in sharing it, as if I’d been included in a game that could have no losers, no chance for ridicule or shame” (Page 213). Miss Johnson is a very important symbol in the play because the connection that she made possible was very important to the narrator as a sense of protection from his peers bantering and a sense of being equal and similar to his classmates.
Just as Miss Johnson represents the connection between the narrator and his peers, she also represents hope for the narrator’s future. Whenever the narrator is in the presence of Miss Johnson, he feels optimistic towards and confident about his life and how it will unfold. His thoughts when he goes to school and sees Miss Johnson entail: “…I felt the small bright hope that my life could be different, that the things marked me out could be erased, a hope made urgent, desperate, by the love that I felt for our teacher Miss Johnson” (Page 212). Miss Johnson also represents hope for the narrator because she is different form all of her colleagues, however, she is still accepted and respected by her students: “Miss Johnson was one of the few lay teachers at Assumption, and she stood out form the stiff formality of the priests and
Many authors use symbols as a device in their texts. In “Going to the Moon”, by Nina Ricci, symbolism is used to illuminate the themes and provide a deeper meaning to the short story. The teacher in the short story, Miss Johnson is the most important symbol. Miss Johnson is a necessary symbol because she represents important themes throughout, including the connection between the narrator and his peers, hope for the narrator and acceptance of the narrator.
Miss Johnson represents the single connection that the narrator and his peers share, providing a sense of security for the boy to avoid humiliation and teasing. The narrator and his classmates both share a deep love for Miss Johnson: “I felt protected in that common love, in the importance I gained in sharing it, as if I’d been included in a game that could have no losers, no chance for ridicule or shame” (Page 213). Miss Johnson is a very important symbol in the play because the connection that she made possible was very important to the narrator as a sense of protection from his peers bantering and a sense of being equal and similar to his classmates.
Just as Miss Johnson represents the connection between the narrator and his peers, she also represents hope for the narrator’s future. Whenever the narrator is in the presence of Miss Johnson, he feels optimistic towards and confident about his life and how it will unfold. His thoughts when he goes to school and sees Miss Johnson entail: “…I felt the small bright hope that my life could be different, that the things marked me out could be erased, a hope made urgent, desperate, by the love that I felt for our teacher Miss Johnson” (Page 212). Miss Johnson also represents hope for the narrator because she is different form all of her colleagues, however, she is still accepted and respected by her students: “Miss Johnson was one of the few lay teachers at Assumption, and she stood out form the stiff formality of the priests and