Rule of the Bone

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Symbolism of Rule of the Bone

There is a lot of symbolism in Rule of the Bone. I will give a few examples of symbolism that is shown throughout the book. Symbolism is when you take a picture, idea, symbol, or even person and use it to represent something even bigger than what it really is. An exaple is a bird. It can symbolize freedom or courage to do something unknown.

Bone's Tattoo: Bone's tattoo symbolizes Chappie's new identity. It gives him a second start in life . It casts away his old name Chappie and gives him the new one Bone. The tattoo is two cross bones without the skull.

The Mannequins: The mannequins represent children being used as adults. When Chappie saw these mannequins in the mall all chopped up with breasts but no nipples or pubic hair. It really spooked him a lot. He ran away to avoid the screen test with Buster Brown. It was these mannequins that kept Chappie from making a very bad decision.

The School Bus: The school bus was a new place start out from for I-Man, Rose and Bone. This is were they lived for quite some time. It symbolizes a new start for the both of them. Here I-Man as an ilegal alien can have a place to live and grow his vegetables and fruits as well as cultivate his marijuana plants. Bone now has somewhere to crash since going back home is no longer an option.

Willie the Cat: Willie the Cat is has some symbolism in the story. Willie the Cat represents the innocence of Bone's character and soul. It was often Willie that cheered Bone up and kept him from doing something terribly stupid. That is why when he almost shot Willie, he strted to cry. It was like he was about to coldy murder a part of himself.

The Gun: The gun represents power for Bone.When he faced of his stepfsther for the second time when he came back to Au Sable, he gets the gun from his backpack and points it at Ken and makes him cry. The gun gave Bone a new found strength that he never thought he had. It was a power he could control.

Tip:

Symbolism can be tricky if you don't record your ideas. You have to have reasons to back up your theory. When in doubt, write it out!

Boooooonnnneeee Rrrruuuulllllleeessss!!!