The Theme Of Identity In Jeannette C. Armstrong's 'Blue Against White'
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The Blue Phoenix
Have you ever stopped to reflect upon how your very self has changed over time? How who you were, or thought you were, years or even months before is notably different from whom you are today? In “Blue Against White”, symbolism, irony, and character motivation all address the topic of memory and disillusion. Enhanced by these aspects, the protagonist’s struggle to find where and who she wants to be is manifested. Jeannette C. Armstrong reveals that unexpected alterations to one’s identity correspond with the idea of past memory. Consequently, memories adapt to embody our present self, and form ones desired being.
Lena (the protagonist) undergoes a journey of self-revelation, as exposed by her response to the memory and present image of…show more content… She recalled in the beginning of the story a hatred towards the “dirt road” (p. 94), as well as detailed descriptions of her loathing of certain aspects of each season: “mud (in the) spring” (p. 94), “dust (in the) summer” (p.94), “ruts (in the) fall” (p. 94), and lastly, “ungraded snow (in the) winter” (p. 94). This impression of enmity is displayed in regard to the reserve as a whole and questions Lena’s decision to return to what seems to be an abyss derived from loathing. The reader is encompassed with the question of “if a continuous abiding sense of dislike is aroused from this land, why return?” The answer to that question is simple: Irony. Lena, as well as the reader, experiences the unexpected. Lena remarks in the concluding paragraph a “deep tiredness” (p.95) felt after “long journeys over” (p.95), providing the reader with a sense of final return; the finale to Armstrong’s story, the finale to Lena’s journey, the finale to Lena’s rebirth. Situational irony displayed Lena’s change of thought, which in turn, embodied her present and desired