Titles of a book can portray an important message about the book or characters. One of the many meanings of Sharon M. Draper`s Tears of a Tiger is Andy`s depressing emotions. In the title the word “Tears” represents Andy`s feelings, and the word “Tiger” represents Andy. The title can also be portrayed as Andy feeling trapped in a cage like a tiger. The many emotions of Andy are how the title can be metaphorically interoperated.
When one thinks of a tiger, they normally think of a strong and courageous animal. On the other hand, Andy is the complete opposite. Andy is a weak and cowardice human being. During the novel, Monty shows Andy a picture he drew. In this picture there was a tiger and he had put tears on it. The tiger in this picture is metaphorically representing Andy. Monty said, “Well I drew a picture last week at school, and the teacher wanted to know why I put tears on my tiger. I told her he was sad. Like you get sometimes” (125). As seen from this quote, Monty knew how Andy actually felt. Everyone else in Hazelwood believed that Andy was doing well and improving. Andy was in great depression and only Monty knew that. After Andy committed suicide all of Andy`s pupils called him a coward for killing himself. On page 173, Gerald states, “You`re a coward and a sellout!”; Gerald had his own problems and thought Andy was selfish for killing himself. Although, these people did not know what Andy was going through, he had felt very guilty and was depressed all of the time.
Another meaning the title of Sharon M. Draper`s Tears of a Tiger can have is Andy`s feeling of being trapped in a “white man`s world”. Andy is just like the tiger, which is trapped in a cage in the zoo. One does not know how a tiger feels when it is trapped in a cage. One can only guess that the tiger is happy and satisfied living in a cage. Andy in this situation is just like the tiger. He is trapped and everyone guesses that he is ok and happy. Although, this is wrong, Andy is neither happy nor ok. Andy said, “Tigers have it rough these days. Instead of roamin` the jungle, hiding from hunters in three-piece loincloths, they are put in concrete cages with bars of steel” (163). Andy feels bad for the tigers and in a way is referring to himself being trapped. Andy realizes that he is not equal to the other white kids and is trapped being the black person he is. Just like on page 164 when he explains, “The tiger who might think he`s equal to all those tigers in the jungle that his mama told him about is quickly reminded to stay in his place. He soon learns that he`ll never get out of there” (164). As he just stated, Andy knows that he will never escape from his “cage” and he has to deal with being trapped.
The novel Tears of a Tiger written by Sharon M. Draper has a title, like most books, that has many meanings. The title can be portrayed in many different ways. One way the title can be viewed is that the title is representing Andy and his mixed and depressed emotions. The title is meaning more than the words “tears” and “tigers.” Behind these words there is a great meaning of what Andy had to experience.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The text, The Killers Tears by Anne Laure Bondoux, is a sad yet happy story of a young boy, Paolo Poloverdos, who lives on a small farm at the end of the world. This all soon changes when a wanted killer named Angel Allegria comes walking down the track and in cold blood, murders the young boys parents. When the young boy walks in to see his parents in a pool of blood, then looks at the murderer and his knife, it changes the souls of the murder and the small child forever.…
- 536 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The book Tears of a Tiger starts off with a Newspaper Article dating back to November 8th titled “Teen Basketball Star Killed in Fiery Crash”. Four teenagers named Andrew Jackson, B.J. Carson, Tyrone Mills, and Robert Washington were driving home from a basketball game when their car crashed into the side of a retaining wall and burst into flames. Robert, or Robbie, was killed in this crash but, his friends, Andrew, B.J., and Tyrone, managed to jump from the car doors after the crash. Andrew or Andy, who was…
- 312 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The exploration of what it means to be human is heavily focused on in Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. The story follows a nine-year-old boy whose father died in the 9/11 attacks as he struggles to find some reason behind it, wondering along the way about existence and, more importantly, human emotion. All humans experience a range of emotions, from happiness to anger and everything in between. One of the most prominent human experiences is loss and the grief that follows it. The grieving process presents itself in many ways, and it is different for everyone. Through examining the text via formalism, which focuses solely on the text itself and not on the author on any other element, it becomes clear that the varying ways of mourning and receiving closure are well represented. The setting, plot, and structure used in the text all tie together the examination of grief as part of what it means to be human—everyone deals with grief, but each person must find a way to do so.…
- 1365 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
Andy is a 16 year old teenager, who is proud to be a Royal. In the story it states that: ''Even in his pain, there had been some sort of pride in knowing he was a Royal”…
- 272 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Through the use of vibrant diction, syntax, and ever changing tone, the author is able to create a dramatic, yet sorrowful story that affects the reader on many levels.…
- 623 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
They are both excited that they can go out of the country together while her sister works. The story is written is first-person point of view. I don’t think there is any symbolism in this story particularly. The imagery in this story has to be the women bringing out the tigers and having the sister sew together their strips, which doesn’t make any sense because how would a tiger lose its strips and get them sewn back? The very skilled sister once was enrolled in med school to be a surgeon, but soon stop attending because she decided that is not what she wants to do. She doesn’t want to do it anymore, because her parents both died because of a surgeon, so by this happening it motivated her to stop going to med school and pick up something else she was skilled in. The title is very significant in this story, because mending the Tiger’s strips back together is what the sister is asked to do for the women.…
- 1328 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
The poem also portrays the agony and grief of the giraffe confined in captivity suffers, the poet dramatises the loneliness the giraffe experiences by using metaphors such as "She languorously swings her tongue," this metaphor implies the giraffe is tired and weary and has become lazy, complacent and bored due to her forced isolation within captivity. She is powerless, stuck in a situation she has no control and no power; stuck in a place where she truly doesn’t belong. It also allows the responder to feel for the sick giraffe and empathise it in its yearning for life.…
- 1411 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
Grief is a key theme throughout Herrick’s novel “By the River” highlighting the suffering and distress from losing a loved one. Herrick explores this theme through the death of Harry Hodby’s mother and his close friend Linda. The first element of grief depicted in the novel is shown through the quotes “we sit in the tender shade/leave him to share some time with our mother/his wife. Herrick uses collective nouns in this quote to convey the ownership of the mother that not only does it show her titles but also it shows the roles within their lives. Herrick then uses personification to describe the “tender shade” and how it has a positive connotation displaying his positive outlook on grief. A second element that is depicted throughout Herrick’s novel is shown in the quote “and dad/alone in the kitchen/stirring his tea/until it was cold in the cup” Herrick uses imagery in this quote to display the numbness in his life. By using the theme grief we clearly see the ideas about human nature and how they can have a positive and negative outlook on life.…
- 645 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
is not only the title of this story, but also this is the physical and emotional symbolisms…
- 1117 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
The title of the book “The Jungle” creates an atmosphere of predators and prey like survival of the fittest. The predators being the criminals and the prey being the Rudkus family. The title of the book symbolizes how the lower class represented by the Rudkus family is being exploited or attacked by the capitalist society and how the country is turned into a jungle .Sinclair uses similes and metaphors to demonstrate the comparison between animals of the jungle and the people . For example in chapter 15, when Jurgis finds out that Connor “the great beast” rapes Ona, Jurgis “eyes were wild and his hair flying, and he was breathing hoarsely like a wounded bull”. Jurgis "sprang" into a room to find Connor, "his prey," and “sunk his teeth into the man’s cheek, and when they tore him away he was dripping whit blood, and the little ribbons of skin where hanging in his mouth” (Sinclair 162). Such imagery is portrayed through out the novel. Exploitation is foreshowed at the beginning of the story when…
- 2239 Words
- 9 Pages
Better Essays -
Throughout his work “Hills Like White Elephants,” Ernest Hemingway uses symbolism and condensed metaphors to sensationalize the power, yet subtleness of the main theme: happiness. While the title does not blatantly represent the characters pursuit of happiness, the simile used in the title does epitomize Hemingway’s writing style as well as the diverse use of symbolism throughout the narrative. Hemingway uses this symbolism to convey the unspoken thoughts and emotions of the characters and the ultimate decision made to begin her journey on the pursuit of happiness.…
- 986 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
In the story “The Painted Door” by Sinclair Ross the title is significant. The title is symbolic, it ties into the plot, and it sums up the main event. When Ann says, “ ‘…It’s going to make the room a lot lighter’ ” she is talking about brightening the bedroom door (49). We paint to bring change and improve upon an old appearance, it is clear that that is what Ann is trying to accomplish with not only her bedroom door, but her life as well. She thinks that she is embarking on a new adventure by bringing change into her home and painting the door white, but in reality she is just beginning a new adventure behind the door. The title also ties into plot and sums up the main event because the painted door is a very significant part of the story. If Ann had chosen not to paint her bedroom door she would have never known John made it home, because John would have never had the paint marked on him. Ann would have thought that John had just collapsed on his way home but the suspicion of suicide is confirmed after she finds the white paint on his palm, “On the palm, white even against its frozen whiteness, was a little smear of paint” (67). It could be by chance that a smear of paint coated John’s palm or it could be a way of allowing Ann to know that his death was no accident. The title of the story “The Painted Door” is symbolic, and relevant to the plot and main event of the…
- 274 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Close interpretation of the story "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway leads the reader to an issue that has plagued society for decades. Understanding of the human condition is unveiled in the story line, the main setting, and through the character representation. The main characters in the story are an American man and a female named Jig. The conflict about abortions is an issue that still faces society today. Architectural and atmospheric symbolisms are used to set the mood and outline the human condition. The love bond between the man and Jig is strong; however, the more powerful bond between Jig and her unborn child is sacred.…
- 760 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The title of The Name of the Rose suggests many interpretations about the thick book at first glance. Umberto Eco talks about this first impression and why he chose this title for his book in his expository article he published in Alphabeta called “Postille” (after). He says that the idea for the title was coincidental and he liked it at the first thought because the rose is such a meaningful and symbolic object that it actually lost its original meaning- having almost no meaning. After giving many references of the rose (The War of the Roses, The Rosencrantz Cult, Gertrude Stein's poem Sacred Emily), Eco explains that a potential reader would be baffled by such a title as it both meant everything and nothing at the same time. It would be impossible for him/her to reach up to a quick conclusion; in fact, that conclusion is never to come. The title of a book, he concludes, should stumble up ideas, not put them in order. This explanation actually is a small prototype of the entire book in terms of its meaning and “conclusion”. The Name of the Rose is a book that has a multiplicity of meanings, an unlimited intertextuality, and an important theme of ex-centricity.…
- 3804 Words
- 16 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers that does not represent Rich herself as she wrote it as a young woman, but it does represent women at that time. In this poem Rich presents us with the ‘typical marriage’ at that time where women felt constricted by their marriage and felt it was a burden weighing them down ‘The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band/Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.’ Aunt Jennifer was feeling oppressed and afraid ,’her terrified hands’ because her husband was the one who had power over her and the one who made the important decisions making Aunt Jennifer feel insignificant ‘Still ringed with the ordeals she was mastered by.’ Yet the tigers she created have no fear of the human beings and perhaps this was Aunt Jennifer’s desire ,not to fear ‘the men beneath the tree.’ Rich I believe choose the tigers as the symbol of power and freedom to especially show what Aunt Jennifer was thinking deep within and the contrast between Aunt Jennifer and her creation ,the tigers. I believe there is a hope and a wish that the way women are seen will change for future generation ,this is shown at the end of the poem ‘The tigers in the panel that she made/ Will go on prancing ,proud and unafraid.’…
- 1470 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays