Death is a unique part of life, and loss is an inevitable result of death. In Alice Walker's 1973 short story "The Flowers," the loss of innocence and the death of childhood are highlighted through a child's experience and encounter with a dead man in America post-slavery. Louise Erdrich's 1984 short story "The Red Convertible" is a story of loss in the face of death, set in Vietnam-era America. Both Walker and Erdrich use strong imagery and symbolism to effectively depict the impact of the common themes of loss and death in both short stories, albeit in different ways. It is important to note the progression of the plots of both stories, and how imagery and symbolism plays a vital role in the development of death and loss as themes. In “The Flowers,” Walker writes a short, nine-paragraph story about Myop, a ten-year-old black girl whose day begins carefree and full of life. In the very first paragraph, Walker sets the tone of wonder and happiness, declaring that every day is "a golden surprise" and that "days were never more beautiful than these" (Walker 20) . As Myop sets out on his adventure through the familiar terrain behind his house collecting the flowers alluded to in the story's title, the imagery begins to change in subtle ways that foreshadow an impending event. Walker writes: “She had often gone this far before, but the strangeness of the country made it less pleasant than her usual haunts. The small cove she was in seemed dark. The air was humid, the silence narrow and deep (Walker 21). In these three short sentences, Walker completely transforms the story. The powerful and persuasive phrasing launches the story towards the unfortunate conclusion in which Myop finds himself faced with decomposition...... middle of paper ...... strong uses of imagery, symbolism and he impact of universal themes transcends the impermeable barriers between readers and the written pages. The quintessence of imagery and symbolism culminates in the very titles of the stories, for both contain their symbols in the names “The Flowers” ​​and “The Red Cabriolet”. Headings are the final written statements that authors give the reader to ponder and reflect on, once again bringing out the impact of the loss contained within the pages. Works Cited Erdrich, Louise. “The Red Corvette.” 1984. Approach to literature: reading + reflection + writing. Ed. Peter Schakel and Jack Ridl. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2012. 126-133. Print.Walker, Alice. “The flowers”. 1973. Approach to literature: reading + reflection + writing. Ed. Peter Schakel and Jack Ridl. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2012. 20-21. Print.