I Never Promised You a Rose Garden Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

Seasons

Seasons are all about change and transition. You don't just go straight from having summer barbeques to building snowmen. Unless you're that Olaf guy from Frozen, we guess.Anyway, when the nov...

The Volcano

The thing about a volcano is that tons of pressure builds up, little by little, out of sight, until one day, boom, the whole thing just blows.That makes the volcano a perfect symbol for someone who...

The Iron Portcullis

The iron what?Okay, ever see pictures of cool old medieval castles? You know those enormous metal or wooden gates that slam down to protect the entrance? That gate is called a portcullis. Deborah s...

Dark, Light, Shadows, and Grayness

Seeing is believing, right?But what if your ability to see clearly is messed up? Then what?This is Deborah's reality. Her mental illness involves hallucinations that are so real Deborah prefers the...

The Flowerpot

Ever had a crazy dream you just knew meant something?We all dream according to our own personal symbolism, and Deborah is no exception. But she takes one particular dream very seriously.Deborah has...

Worms

Worms get a bad rap. They do wonders for the soil, but because they help stuff decompose in the ground, they get associated with dead bodies. Got it. But what do worms have to do with the story?Let...

Sunday God's Rain

When Carla and Deborah walk out into the spring rain on a Sunday beyond the boundaries of where they're allowed to go, they both feel good and free and normal. Their experience is described as if i...

Seeds

Okay, we know Dr. Fried is a doctor and not a gardener. But the way she talks about seeds all the time? Well, we're betting her garden at home is blossoming all year round.When Dr. Fried discusses...

The Hard Rind

This fruit symbol is only brought up twice, so we'll make this short and sweet. When Deborah first starts talking to Dr. Fried, Anterrabae tells her that she has "eaten down hope from the red to th...