Theme and Symbols of “I Used to Live Here Once” - 852 Words

Theme and Symbols of â€Å"I used to live here once† ENG125 Introduction to Literature Instructor 10/1/2012 Theme and Symbols of â€Å"I used to live here once† The story â€Å"I used to live here once† is a short story based on a woman’s journey returning to a place she once called home. The author uses symbols throughout the story to demonstrate to the reader that the woman is no longer alive. The ultimate theme is not discovered until the end of the story. The purpose of this paper will be to discuss my interpretation of the theme and symbol of this story. This story is written in limited third person point of view. This means that narrator is not a character in the story. Based on the fact that; the narration is focused on only the†¦show more content†¦If the author had not mentioned this; it would have been a lot more difficult for the reader to understand what the story is about. The first time she knew, means the first moment she realized that she was only a spirit returning to a place she once called home. The overall theme of this story is the woman’s spiritual journey through the afterlife. I believe that the author using limited third point of view helped me to connect with the woman. The symbols expressed throughout the story were intriguing. The symbols made me think about the statements in a new light. â€Å"I used to live here once† is a lot more complex than I first thought. This story is very well written and I enjoyed looking deeper into the meaning behind it. References: Rhys, J. (1976) I used to live here once/Journey into literature. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. 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