Symbolism for the book, Clay's Quilt

1. Sowards 1
Harold Sowards
Charles Fischer
Texting the World 4 pm
4 December 2013
Symbolism in Clay’s Quilt
In the book, Clay’s Quilt by Silas House, there is a lot of symbolism that is used
regarding other types of media. This media is mainly songs, but does include historical events,
bible verses, and other works of literature. There is also the use of image symbolism as well in
which there is a lot of topics covered.
The beginning of the story has a lot of foreshadowing in it if you can understand the
symbolism. First of all by reading the prologue, the reader infers that it is winter. (House pg. 1-
7) Winter in literature usually symbolizes death (Fraim). Janis Joplin’s name reference (House
4) should also throw some flags up. Her young death in the 1970s (Smith) could have been a
foreshadowing to show Anneth’s early death. However, the fact that Joplin was very sexually
promiscuous (Powell) and Anneth was as well (House 120), should not be taken as a
coincidence. It should be seen as a sign that House was trying to make the death of Anneth
predictable in such a way that even her own grandma predicted her dying before age 30 (203).
Also, to point out a key point there is snow in the chapter, which in literature means something is
covered up (Fraim) and this is key because the events that happen in the Prologue are not
remembered by Clay for the most part as it is clouded in mystery.
Dreama’s wedding (House pg.40-50) also has a lot of foreshadowing involved in it. It
was raining (40) which in literature means that there is some sort of sadness or despair or a
beginning of a new life (Louis). This shows that Dreama isn’t ready to begin a new life as a

2. Sowards 2
married woman, she is still wanting to be free and be able to explore her interests, mainly in
Clay. 1 Corinthians 13 is a more famous Bible verse used for weddings and is “Paul arguing that
love is an action, not an emotion” (Krell). This is very important here, because it is basically the
basis of a marriage, but Dreama is only getting married because she is having a baby and that she
has loved Darry forever (House 32). Also, there is a mention that the sky is gray (41), which in
literature is said to mean the desire or harm of an object (Fraim). This can be interpreted to either
mean the marriage is going to do harm to the members involved, either emotionally or physically
or that Dreama desire for Clay can result in something that isn’t intentional.
However, one of the most important parts of the wedding would be the candle burning
out which represents infidelity (House 49). This is important because this means she is either
losing her faith because she is showing that sex is more important than God or that she is
cheating in marriage. The cheating however isn’t necessarily physical, she just has an emotional
attachment to Clay and will continuously think of him and will ruin the marriage. However, it
turns out Darry is the one who had the affair (108). The other important part is the song When
You Say Nothing at All (43) although there are other songs that were played; they were more
religious based while this one brings on another meaning. The song is basically about a special
connection between people that others don’t necessarily have (Wovenheart). This can be either
the marriage that is about to happen between Dreama and Darry or it can foreshadow the
eventual love that will exist in Clay and Alma. The only reason Princess Diana’s wedding
(House 43) is mentioned in this story, is to show that people from Appalachia can and usually do
keep up to date with current events.
The Ferris Wheel scene with Clay and Alma at night (House 100) is important not just
because of what happens, but also because of the setting. In literature darkness usually means

3. Sowards 3
danger or ignorance (Fraim) and in this case the danger is towards Alma because of her marriage
and what will happen to her after the situation and the ignorance is the fact that Clay can’t see
the trouble she is having dealing with the situation. The trouble is shown more prominent when
she is convinced that she is marked with a Scarlet Letter (160) because she thinks people are
judging her for being out with Clay. This reference is used strictly to present the theme present
in the Scarlet Letter: a sense of embarrassment or shame in society (Iannonel). It is also
important to point out that Chapter 8 begins in autumn (House 93) and in literature this usually
means something is near death (Fraim) and in this case it would have to be Alma and Denzel’s
marriage.
The song, Barbara Allen (House 95), is used to represent the way that Cake loves Clay as
a brother and can also be used to explain how Clay feels about Alma. However, it can also
represent the tragic death of the way both characters look at life (Tsur). Clay’s life is reborn as a
want to start a family, while Cake is just going to start looking for someone to be with. The song,
You Don’t Know How it Feels (House 104) is usually used to portray breakups (PCTZAG),
which can technically be Cake losing Clay as a good friend who is always around. However, it
should be used to explain that Cake doesn’t know how Clay feels about Alma, because he has
not yet experienced a love story. The song, You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
(House 104), is a great way to explain how Cake is feeling. The song is about someone trying to
find a purpose after someone leaves them (Peyroux) and this shows how Cake is going to have to
readjust to a life without Clay.
There is a lot of symbolism to do with Anneth as well. The classical music pieces she
listens to, especially La Campanella (House 74), shows that she as well as Appalachian people
can be quite sophisticated and have a variety of music choices that aren’t just country and folk.

4. Sowards 4
This is also made known when Clay finds the newspaper clippings inside his mom’s box (137).
The poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay” (138) is perfect here, because it is about not holding onto
material objects and focusing more on emotional attachments (Elixir of Memory). This is
because there is a lot of objects in the chest that Clay can become attached to and use and find
happiness in it, it will be gone when he loses that item. However, if he focuses on the emotions
attached to the item and dwell on those, he can never lose the image of his mother because she
will always be in his heart. One of these memories, being the song Brand New Key (House 139)
and it is put in a weird spot. It is not clear if she is bragging that she did ok as a single parent or if
her open sexual promiscuousness is a worry, these ideas are brought from the song’s
interpretation (Safka).
The first dream Alma makes known to Clay about the beach (House 194) is quite
puzzling because it sounds like a good time. However, the beach symbolizes major and unknown
changes happening in life (DreamMoods). While this seems like it wouldn’t be that bad, she says
it has been a reoccurring dream of hers (House 195) which kind of means that she has had no
control of her life, but that she has had a lot of changes in her life style. The sand itself
symbolizes a lack of balance in life (DreamMoods), which can only be assumed that she isn’t
able to balance her feelings about the marriage with the way her dad views the marriage. The
second dream about murky water (House 195) is a lot easier to understand. It usually
symbolizes death (Fraim/House 195). This is the easiest way to foreshadow the death of
someone close to Alma, because she is the one who dreamed about it. So, when Denzel gets shot
(House 246) it shouldn’t have come as that big of a surprise to the reader.
When Dreama is naming her baby (House 198), the two movies and the name are all
symbolic of her life and the circumstances in it. The movie Gone With The Wind (198) is great

5. Sowards 5
for its purpose here, because the main theme is overcoming adversity through willpower
(Mitchell) which is exactly what Dreama has done and will have to continue to do. She
overcame the fact that Darry cheated on her and had enough strength to divorce him. She is also
going to have to deal with the fact that she is going to be a single parent taking care of a kid
which is probably very stressful. The other movie, Legends of the Fall (House 198) is also a
great use of an allusion. The theme in the movie is about being a victim (Harrison) which is
exactly what she is. She is the victim of a failed relationship, a teenage pregnancy, a lack of
faith, and a loss of her freedom. However, the name Tristan takes the cake here. The name
translates to mean either a knight or full of sorrow (<Tristan>). The knight part holds true,
because he will be Dreama’s only light throughout the rest of the book, because she will always
feel as if she isn’t good enough for anyone after what happened with Darry. However, the tragic
thing is the full of sorrow part also rings true, because there will be a lot of things the child will
not be able to experience without a father figure present and there has also been a lot of troubles
brought up before his birth that will resurface later on.
The song, Harvest, (House 204) was important in understanding Anneth’s personality.
It’s interpreted to mean a change in life (Young), which is basically why Anneth’s idea anyways,
because she is always about trying new things. However, this leads to a more serious section in
the book, the gravesite and the setting. The creek (House 206) is important because it is
interpreted to be a stream of life and death (Louis) which can be seen as Anneth’s spirit being a
part of nature. The yellow light over the tombstones (House 206) isn’t really important until the
meaning of the color yellow in literature, which symbolizes old age or decay (Louis). This can
either be seen as Marguerite being old, the fact that it has been a long time since Clay has visited
the grave, or the state of the tombstones themselves, either way it is not a pretty image to picture.

6. Sowards 6
The mountain however, can be seen as the most important aspect of the landscape (House 206),
because in literature mountains are said to be the place where Heaven and Earth meet (Louis).
This could be why Clay is always going up there to be alone with God, but also could be the best
way to say that Anneth is truly one with nature because she will always love it even though she
is gone. The rose on Anneth’s grave (206) is also important to the story. A rose in literature is
said to mean budding youth, fragility, and potential (Louis). This might not matter because she
is dead, but it can symbolize the fact that she was only beginning her life and the fact that she
was still growing is a shame because there could’ve been a potential for greater things in life. It
can also symbolize how fragile life is because one minute it is here and everything is ok and the
next it is not. However, the underlying aspect is that Anneth just generally loved nature, so it is
fitting to have a beautiful piece of it carved into her tombstone.
Clay and Alma’s wedding took place in the spring (House 210) which can be symbolic.
In literature, the spring season is interpreted as a birth, new life, a celebration or a marriage
(Fraim), which makes perfect sense in this part of the story. They are beginning a new life
together in marriage and therefore wanted to celebrate this occasion with all of Clay’s friends
and family. The only part in this book where the season beginning seems out of place is when
Paul dies (287) which seems like a complete contradiction to how the season is used in literature.
However, it can be used to show that Paul is beginning a new life in the spiritual world, or it can
be symbolism the beginning of Clay and Alma’s baby’s adventure and the hope for an interest in
nature. The dogwood tree flowers (211) are also a great use of symbolism. The dogwood tree
flowers have an image of a cross on them, because the tree’s wood was the material used to
make the cross used to crucify Jesus (D’Cruz). This can show that God wants their marriage to
happen, which seems a little far-fetched. However, it could be seen as an act that Clay is finally

7. Sowards 7
beginning to understand his religion and what is truly going on in his situation and what he
should bring to his child’s life.
The fact that Alma was reading To Kill A Mockingbird while at the beach (House 268), is
priceless. The theme for the book is generally about Social inequality (Knox) which is how Alma
feels later on during the vacation when she thinks the people are downgrading her culture and
heritage (House 272). She believes that Appalachia is a better place than it is portrayed and she
personally is very educated. This could be the fact that she didn’t intend on anyone hearing her.
However, it can also be a flashback at her earlier dream where she was on the beach playing the
fiddle (194) and how it in a way finally became realized. Then her reaction can take the place of
the muddy water dream (195) because she turned something that was supposed to be beautiful
into something no so pretty anymore. The book itself can also be seen as a sign that she is
growing up and that she has to help Clay emotionally mature at this point in his life. The verse
Jeremiah 12.7 (274) gives us insight into Alma’s psyche. It shows us that she truly loves her
hometown even though originally she wanted to escape from it, because her heart will always be
there.
In conclusion, you can see that Silas House added lots of subtle hints in his story to make
the reader think about things. It provides the reader with a better sense of scenery as well as a
deeper meaning through the text that wouldn’t be as functional if he would have just said what
was happening. Through the use of symbolism, the reader learns in-depth information about
each character.

8. Sowards 8
Works Cited
"Candle Symbolism." About.com Marriage. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.
<http://marriage.about.com/od/loveandromance/a/Candle-Symbolism.htm>.
D'Cruz, Pinkie. "Meaning and Legend of Flowers (D)." Http://www.angelfire.com. N.p., 16 Jan.
1998. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. <http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/flowers/d.html>.
"Dream Dictionary: Water." Http:/dreammoods.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.
<http://dreammoods.com/cgibin/dreamdictionarysearch.pl?method=exact&header=dream
symbol&search=WATER -murky water dream>.
Elixirofmemories. "Analysis of "Nothing Gold Can Stay" |." Elixirofmemories. N.p., 29 Apr.
2012. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. <http://elixirofmemories.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/analysis-
of-nothing-gold-can-stay/>.
House, Silas. Clay’s Quilt. New York: The Random House Publishing Group, 2001. Print.
Iannonel, C. "Adultery, From Hawthorne To Updike." Commentary 86.4 (1988): 55. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.
"Infidelity." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.
<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/infidelity>.
Knox, Sara L., and Cristyn Davies. "The Force Of Meaning." Cultural Studies 27.1 (2013): 1-10.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.
Krell, Keith. "Love Knows No Limits (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) | Bible.org." Bible.org. N.p., 13
May 2010. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. <https://bible.org/seriespage/love-knows-no-limits-1-
corinthians-131-13>.
"Legends of the Fall Themes." BookRags. Ed. Jim Harrison. BookRags, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-legends-of-the-fall/themes.html>.

9. Sowards 9
"Madeleine Peyroux – You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go."SongMeanings.
Looiz, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.
<http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858531180/>.
"Melanie Safka – Brand New Key." SongMeanings. LyricFind, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.
<http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858635066/>.
Powell, Jessica R. "News : Articles." RSS News. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.janisjoplin.net/news/3/48/>.
PTCGAZ. "Tom Petty – You Don't Know How It Feels." SongMeanings. LyricFind, 12 Dec.
2012. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. <http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/10651/>.
Smith, Wendy. "Rock Of Ages: Forty Years After Their Deaths, Jimi Hendrix And Janis Joplin
Now Seem Part Of The Mainstream Culture They Rebelled.
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Gone with the Wind.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC.
2003. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.
Stevenson, Joseph. "AllMusic." AllMusic. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.allmusic.com/composition/la-campanella-i-etude-for-piano-in-b-minor-
transcendental-paganini-etude-no-3-s-140-3-lw-a52-3-mc0002447377>.
"Tristan." SheKnows RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. <http://www.sheknows.com/baby-
names/name/tristan>.
Tsur, Avi. "The Ballad of Barbara Allen." The Ballad of Barbara Allen. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec.
2013. <http://www.etni.org.il/music/barbaraallen.htm>.
Wovenheart. "Alison Krauss – When You Say Nothing At All." SongMeanings. N.p., 14 Oct.
2012. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. <http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/85267/>.