Myop's Loss Of Innocence In The Flowers By Alice Walker

In “The Flowers” by Alice Walker, she portrays the main character’s loss of innocence through symbolism. Myop starts off as a girl that is oblivious to the harsh reality and at the end of the short story, she is more aware of her surroundings. She matures due to her experience. Flowers and summer symbolize both innocence and how she gains experience. Symbols of being naive and unmindful are used throughout the short story. “She was ten, and nothing existed for her but her song, the stick clutched in her dark brown hand, and the tat-de-ta-ta of accompaniment.” This shows that at her young age, she does not realize what is surrounding her. Myop does not fully understand the harsh world yet. People were racist to those of darker skin or of color.