FREE ESSAY ON SYMBOLISM IN THE GRAVE

SYMBOLISM IN THE GRAVE

Born May 15, 1890, in Indian Creek, Texas; Katherine Anne Porter has written numerous
short stories and a novel. Katherine Anne Porter uses autobiographical information and
symbolism to relate the story of Miranda's maturation into adulthood in her short story
"The Grave." In "The Grave," Miranda discovers her feminine side (West 28), and although
she is only a child, Miranda understands a few of the events that shape a person into
adulthood (Mooney 20).
Porter's genius as a writer is most evident in "The Grave," published in 1935 (Grubbs
3319). Written in a style that is uniquely Porter's, it is a powerful story of two
children's contact with the intricacies of life and death. Set on a farm in Texas in 1903
(Brooks 115), "The Grave" recounts the story of Miranda, the character based on Porter's
life (West 6), and her movement from innocence to knowledge (West 29). "Miranda learns
about birth and her own destiny as a woman" (Brooks 118). This short story is intensely
autobiographical--both Miranda and Porter's mothers died during childbirth (Givner 236).
Additionally, when Porter was young, she and her brother found a ring and a dove in the
grave of their grandfather, as did Miranda and her brother Paul. "Thus, not only did
Porter employ real objects and events in the story, but she also carried the event in her
mind for some three decades before it emerged and was reborn into fiction" (Grubbs
3321).
Symbolism is a prominent element in many of Katherine Anne Porter's short stories. Much
critical controversy exists over the symbolism in several of her works, particularly in
"The 
Grave." According to Porter:
Symbolism happens of its own self and it comes out of something so deep in your 
own consciousness and your own experience that I don't think that most writers are at 
all conscious of their use of symbols. I never am until I see them. They come of 
themselves because they belong to me, and have meaning to me, but they come of 
themselves. I have no way of explaining them...and I suppose you don't invent 
symbolism. (qtd. in Unrue 17)
On a separate occasion Porter is quoted as saying, "I never consciously took or adopted a
symbol in my life" (qtd. in Unrue 17).
While Miranda and Paul are hunting in the fields they decide to stop and explore the
empty graves that once were the family burial ground. In one of the graves, Miranda finds
a screwhead for a coffin, a small silver dove "with spread wings and a neat fan-shaped
tail" (70), which she rapidly exchanges to Paul for a golden ring. Many different views
exist concerning the symbolic status of the silver dove. M.A. Grubbs describes the dove
as a symbol of innocence, love, and peace; and proposes that the "dove's emergence from
the grave suggests innocence born from experience" (3320). According to Joan Givner, the
dove, shaped like the dove of Venus, is a symbol of earthly love (237). Another view is
that the silver dove symbolizes "the past, the mythic, and the sacred" (Cheatham, "Death"
613). The use of the dove as a symbolic figure can be perceived in various ways.
Initially, the incorporation of the symbol could be coincidental. "Second, the symbol
might be a pretentious device to add a superficial sense of weight and depth to the story
without any particular religious significance." Perhaps the dove suggests a "Christian
meaning which the story as a whole affirms," or the inclusion of the dove could be
considered a "parody of the resurrection" (Cheatham, "Criticism" 113). Paul longs 
to have the dove, which typifies "a killing for Paul, the archetypal male as hunter"
(Unrue 59). The imperfect dove also signifies Paul, and his "flawed innocence" for he
already seemed to be knowledgeable of birth and life (Hendrick 71). The dove possibly
could be merely a personal symbol for Miranda of "her brother, her youth, and the day she
lost a bit of her conventional innocence"; however, Porter's diction validates the
concept of resurrection. The dove exemplifies religious views of the Holy Spirit and the
promise that He will save man's soul (Cheatham, "Death" 615, 617). Porter herself
explained that the dove was a symbol for the Holy Spirit, art and the transcendence over
mortality (Unrue 61).
The gold ring Paul finds in one of the graves serves as a representation of Miranda's
femininity, which she is slowly coming to know and understand. This ring is most likely a
wedding band, the unbroken circle of which symbolizes a continuous connection. From the
instant Miranda first beholds the small ring, she adores its beauty. In Miranda's eyes
the ring denotes extravagance and comfort. It also symbolizes "marriage, and a luxurious,
aristocratic past" (Unrue 61, 59). Additionally, the children's past and their ancestral
heritage are also portrayed by the ring (Grubbs 3321). The intricate designs of flowers
and leaves that are engraved on the ring are symbols of fertility. Miranda's wearing of
the ring on her thumb is symbolic of the fact that she is not mature enough to wear the
ring on the appropriate finger (Hendrick 69). Her fondness of the ring provokes Miranda's
realization of her femininity. She suddenly detests her appearance and longs for
effeminate clothes and accessories. With the ring now in her possession, Miranda wants to
go back to the farmhouse, take a bath, dust herself with talcum powder, and put on "the
thinnest, most becoming dress she owned" (74). This longing is seen as preparation for
her entrance into womanhood (Poss 333).
The word "grave" has several meanings in this short story. Each of the three
classifications holds secrets that must be revealed in the story (Grubbs 3320). The
literal grave, the rabbit, and the human mind serve as the three types of graves in this
short story (West 28). The literal grave is what the children are playing in when they
find the dove, ring, and rabbit. These empty graves represent maturity, experience, and
resurrection (Grubbs 3320). When the children come across a rabbit and Paul shoots it,
they discover that the rabbit was about to give birth. The mother rabbit is a symbol of
life and of Miranda's knowledge of life's events. The rabbit represents generation and
death (Poss 333). According to Grubbs, the rabbit symbolizes rebirth and fertility. The
mother rabbit becomes "a womb that is a grave" for her offspring (3320). The scene
horrifies yet excites Miranda, and she refuses to accept the fur from the rabbit for her
dolls. The sight of the young rabbits forces Miranda to realize the knowledge of the
complexities of life and the birth process. "Having seen, she felt at once as if she had
known all along. The very memory of her former ignorance faded, she had always known just
this" (76). "The meaning of life and fertility and of her own body begin to take shape in
the little girl's mind as she sees the tiny creatures just taken from their mother's
womb" (Brooks 116-17). Through the experience of seeing the pregnant rabbit, Miranda
comes to understand the difference between herself and her brother (Grubbs 3320). George
Cheatham states in his article, "Death and Repetition in Porter's Miranda Stories," that
the rabbit suggests "the present, the personal, and the profane" (613). The human mind is
also considered a grave in this short story. "Miranda never told, she did not wish to
tell anybody. She thought about the whole worrisome affair with confused unhappiness for
a few days. Then it sank quietly into her mind and was heaped over by accumulated
thousands of impressions, for nearly twenty years" (78-9). Miranda put this memory in the
back of her consciousness, and she did not recall the day until nearly twenty years later

when the grave of the human mind is "opened and found to hold something more important
than horror;" it holds knowledge of life and experiences (Curley 344). The title of the
story comprises another symbolic component of the story. It represents the death of
Miranda's childhood. 
Many minor symbols also exist in Porter's "The Grave." Several characters in the story
contribute to the innumerable symbols. The grandmother represents authority, structure,
stability and order in the past. She also symbolizes strength and fortitude (Mooney 17,
20). The children are used as symbols of innocence in this short story (Grubbs 3320).
Paul's name suggests the Biblical character, the apostle Paul (Hendrick 71). One critic
implies that Paul, standing in the blazing sunshine, recalls "the apostle Paul's
conversion in the blinding light on the road to Damascus" (Cheatham, Criticism 114). The
sugar candies of the vendor in Mexico City "in the shapes of all kinds of small
creatures," (78) are primary symbols of the small animals Miranda and Paul once hunted.
These sweets suggest "aborted life" and "aborted art" (Gardiner 269). The candies evoke
Miranda's memories of that day with a suddenness and a clarity that overwhelm her. "She
was so reasonlessly horrified she halted suddenly staring, the scene before her eyes
dimmed by the vision back of them" (78). "Miranda's epiphanic vision suggests that,
although the mind is a grave, memories are alive and in transit" (Grubbs 3321).
"The Grave" is a tremendous story with an innumerable assortment of symbolic elements.
Porter uses symbolism to its greatest advantage to describe the tale of a young girl's
movement into adulthood. As Ray B. West Jr. writes, "In the awareness of decay and death
comes the important knowledge of the mature self, felt but not understood, recognized in
its completeness only later when recalled by a similar sensual awareness" (29). In "The
Grave," Miranda renounces the "perceived bondage of repeated meaning," to seize "the
freedom of unconnected existence, of modernity--the freedom of the grave" (Cheatham,
"Death" 610). 
Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography of Katherine Anne Porter's "The Grave"
Brooks, Cleanth. "On, 'The Grave.'" Katherine Anne Porter: A Critical Symposium. Eds. 
Lodwick Hartley and George Core. Athens: U of GA P, 1969.
Summary: Brooks' article focuses on a summary of the plot of Porter's short story, and it
discusses the symbolism of the different items found by the children. Brooks also talks
about the themes Porter included in her story. It describes Miranda's transformation
throughout the story from a girl who did not care how she dressed and who liked going
hunting to a feminine young woman. 
Cheatham, George. "Literary Criticism, Katherine Anne Porter's Consciousness, and The
Silver 
Dove." Studies in Short Fiction. Vol. 25. (1988): 109-15. 
Summary: Cheatham discusses the autobiographical aspect of Katherine Anne Porter's
fiction. He also talks about the symbolism of the silver dove in "The Grave," and what
the inclusion of this symbol means. It also ties the use of the silver dove back to
Christian meanings and references. 
Gardiner, Judith Kegan. "'The Grave,' 'On Not Shooting Sitting Birds,' and the Female 
Esthetic." Studies in Short Fiction. Vol. 20. (1983): 265-70.
Summary: In this article, Gardiner focuses on analyzing the female esthetic in Porter's
"The Grave" and Jean Rhys' "One Not Shooting Sitting Birds." The article talks about the
symbolic meaning of the silver dove, the ring, and the dead rabbits. Gardiner also
discussed how Miranda repressed all that happened the day she and Paul were exploring the
graves. 
Givner, Joan. "Katherine Anne Porter." Dictionary of Literary Biography. Vol. 102. Ed. 
Bobby Ellen Kimbel. Detroit: Gale, 1991. 
Summary: Givner focuses on the life of Katherine Anne Porter in her article. She gives a
chronology of Porter's works. Givner also explains several of Porter's short stories,
including "The Grave." In her discussion about "The Grave," Givner gives a summary of the
plot, and talks about the knowledge that comes to Miranda from this experience. 
Rollyson, Carl. "Letters of Katherine Anne Porter." Magill Book Reviews. EBSCOhost. 
AN: 9101076027.
Summary: This short article explains the use of letters in Katherine Anne Porter's works.
The article talks about how the letters used in her works are proof of the quality of her
friendship. Porter uses the letters as starting points for her fiction. 
Unrue, Darlene Harbour. "Katherine Anne Porter, Politics, and Another Reading of
'Theft.'" 
Studies in Short Fiction. Vol. 30. (1993): 119-27. EBSCOhost. AN: 9511241777.
Summary: This article examines the political views of Katherine Anne Porter and how those
views affected her work as an author. It also tells of the issues that molded these
political beliefs. It tells of her involvement with socialist and feminist political
activities.