2. Mode of Literature: Tragedy
We feel as though the book, Baby, by Sarah MacLachlan follows the tragic
mode of literature because of the way that the story was organized.
World is in Conflict: The mom seems suspicious and very weary of Larkin’s
family because she is trying to choose the right family to leave Sophie with.
Rise to Purpose: Sophie’s mom finally decides to leave Sophie with Larkin’s
family.
Tragic: The family starts to get used to Sophie and having her around.
Tragic Flaw: They start to open up about Larkin’s dead brother that was never
spoken of only known as Baby.
Tragic Fall: About two years later her birth mother Julia suddenly comes and
takes her away.
Death or Death Symbolism: Byrd, the grandmother passed away and Sophie
and her mother came to back for the funeral.
3. Symbolism Evidence #1
Summer’s End
• It symbolizes change in what they used to see
before. This means that all of the tourists
leave the island and everything goes back to
“normal.”
4. Symbolism Evidence #2
Rock, paper, scissors.
• It symbolizes what Sophie remembers from
when she was a child, memory. Her memory
with the father signifies that she also learned
something from a different person.
5. Symbolism Evidence #3
Poetry
• In school, Larkin learned about poetry before
everything started to come into somewhat
regular life. She learned things from the
poetry that changed her perspective on things
and helped her to move on.
6. Symbolism Evidence #4
Family
• Family is a large piece of the symbolism
because of the two deaths that took place and
the person that was brought into the family
for a while. The changes brought them closer.
7. Symbolism Evidence #5
Winter
• Winter symbolized growth, because everyone
came together; outside wasn’t exactly an
option. The people in the family learned to
accept each other for who they really were.
8. Symbolism Evidence #6
Dancing
• The dancing that Father and Sophie did
symbolized bringing the family together for
one event at the end of the night.
9. Symbolism Evidence #7
Beach
• The beach symbolizes the end of winter so
they could go to the beach. They never went
in the water but they were still there which, in
their minds, was special.
10. Symbolism Evidence #8
Ferry
• The five o’clock whistle of the ferry leaving
the port represents reminds the reader of
Sophie because she leaves at the last ferry.
11. Symbolism Evidence #10
Faith
• Faith symbolizes Byrd, the grandmother,
because when they got Sophie, the grandma
always wanted to be around Sophie when
nobody else wanted to.
12. Symbolism Evidence #10
Letters
• The letters are symbols because the things
that her mom wrote such as things being
better. It really showed that she still loved her
even though she couldn’t have contact with
her for a while.
