... This quote shows society's point of view, but by placing this in the chapter of autumn, Morrison rejects society's status quo that the start of menstruation is the start of womanhood. Instead she compares childhood to the colorful dancing leaves of autumn, full of carelessness and lighthearted pleasure. Then when the leaves of childhood fall to the ground, ... leaf, it will too disappear into the crumbling brownness that has taken over. And in the end, all that's left of childhood is a graveyard of brown leaves. In the world there are people who like to pretend that they're something th...

• Word Count: 1519
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... shows how trees represent safe havens for characters like Denver from their painful problems. There is another Clearing that is in the middle of the woods of Cincinnati, surrounded by trees that provide safety for Baby Suggs and further justify the symbolic relationship between trees and safe havens for characters in ... place, we flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it. Love it hard. Yonder they do not love your flesh"(93). "Yonder" refers to the unsafe world outside of the tree Clearing. The weeping, laughing, and dancing the community can do ...

• Word Count: 828
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Clearing. Separate from any established churches, The Clearing provided a place where the community could gather and reclaim themselves- a place where they could reclaim God, outside of any white institutions. "The Clearing provides a place for "every man, woman and child who could make it through" to love themselves and each other in ... would not have it. "Here", she said, "in this here place, we flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it. Love it hard and the beat and beating heart, love that too love your heart. For this is the prize." It is in...

• Word Count: 3712
• Approx Pages: 15
• Grade Level: High School

... Clearing. Separate from any established churches, The Clearing provided a place where the community could gather and reclaim themselves- a place where they could reclaim God, outside of any white institutions. "The Clearing provides a place for "every man, woman and child who could make it through" to love themselves and each other in ... would not have it. "Here", she said, "in this here place, we flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it. Love it hard and the beat and beating heart, love that too love your heart. For this is the prize." It is in...

• Word Count: 3715
• Approx Pages: 15
• Grade Level: High School