Somewhere among the fallen pecans, woolen afghans, and clandestine photographs, we can find in Animal Dreams a consistent symbol of death. Codi is followed throughout the story by an apparent disappearance of those around her, from friends and family to the earthly environment. She is even faced with the loss of her own perception of herself, her origins and her instincts. The novel opens and ends with "The Night/Day of All Souls", providing readers with a glimpse into Codi's past and potential future, including her death from convention. Beliefs, motivations, and traditions are significantly altered in these chapters, offering vast and altered perceptions of the environment. Codi's return to Grace in "Hallie's Bones" uses the end of a previous fling, an avoidance, and a strange reluctance to accept the security she secretly craves. "Bleeding Hearts" and "A River on the Moon" depict the death of natural beings in Codi's "personal ecosystem." She is then confronted with the gradual but undeniable death of her father's mental state in "Day of the Dead" and "Human Remains". From the initial loss of her mother and child throughout her development to realizing her future and surroundings as an adult, Codi is continually confronted with the images and realities of death that confront her. surround. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned'? Get Original Essay Animal Dreams begins with Doc Homer's memory of his daughters as young girls, in 'The Night of All souls.” He decides that, after attending the tradition, "this will be [Codi and Hallie's] last year for the graveyard and All Souls' Day." There are too many skeletons there. (Kingsolver 4) The opening of the novel, which begins "from the starting moments", is described quite clearly in this obvious denial of a child's holiday customs in an attempt to hide a dark family secret. (Stevenson 187) This behavior illustrates Homer's general attitude toward his children throughout the story, frequently substituting love and "display of affection" for practicality and protection, or “orthopedic shoes”. (Rubenstein 204) This absolute withholding of affection and honesty from the father towards the daughters is a standard symbol of the death of tradition and communication. Quite differently, "All Souls' Day," with which the novel ends, depicts "a sense of affirmation, emphasizing resolution, continuity, new life and the next generation ". (Stevenson 187) In Codi's acceptance of this new alternative option, however, we can see the death of a custom. Codi's eternal refusal to remain in Grace throughout the novel, as well as her avoidance of a stationary lifestyle to begin with, truly and visibly approaches her decline in this chapter. Including the announcement of her father's eventual death, this chapter also reveals that Codi had actually been present when her mother died. “If you remember something, then it’s true,” Viola explains, finally stifling the painful insecurity of Codi’s continually denied memories. (Kingsolver 342) “The Night of All Souls” and “The Day of All Souls” are sincerely appropriate to the realizations and choices that are encompassed in each chapter. It is true that the decisions and outcomes of the main characters in these chapters, regardless of their intention, touch all souls, depicting the clearly "global" nature of these undeniably significant dates. Codi's transition toThe momentous change she undergoes throughout the novel begins with her return to her hometown of Grace, New Mexico. After a lowly position with 7-11 and a quietly unsatisfying relationship, she returns to town, "things eroding too slowly to notice" in "Hallie's Bones". (Kingsolver 8) Although she originally applies this description to the city's natural features, it soon becomes clear that this gradual wear and tear is also relevant to its population. Literary critic Roberta Rubenstein states that Codi's return to Grace is also accompanied by the "recovery of her lost self". (Rubenstein 204) However, its end result absolutely marks the death of this original personification, creating an entirely new character out of Codi. His return is, in fact, a death in itself, from the empty, unanchored life that Codi previously claimed. She arrives “at this moment in my life, without knowing how to make the kind of choice that was necessary here.” (Kingsolver 15) By the time of her final settlement to Grace, however, she retains an entirely different perspective and capacity to not only "make that choice" but to feel worthwhile in doing so. The title of "Hallie's Bones" is slightly ominous, perhaps giving a glimpse into the completely altered future of Codi's story, just as the chapter itself does. The promising steps in Grace, together with the descriptive disappointment of her past "adventure" ultimately offer the clue that "the search for an individual identity is not sufficient in itself to grant one peace, security and peace." feeling of belonging that she dreams of.” (Aubrey 1) Remembering the extremely close relationship between the two sisters, "like very mismatched Siamese twins, Siamese at heart", and the past they had shared together, allows for a slight anticipation of the events to come. come, just as adventure does in an ancient, but completely new, world of grace. (Kingsolver 8) In addition to his self-esteem, the clarity of his memory, and many of those close to him, the loss/death that Codi experiences quickly extends to his natural surroundings as well. “Just like Codi's inner being, the land around Grace is in danger; A major step in Codi's eventual discovery of her true place as an "insider" within Grace is her political awareness of this fact. (Rubenstein 206) “Bleeding Hearts” describes the coming of winter, during which trees begin to die, losing their leaves and fruit “…in handfuls thick and brittle like the hair of a cancer patient” . (Kingsolver 173) Also plagued by poisoned soil and the inability to reproduce, "fruit fall" takes place throughout the city, inspiring an extraordinary and lifeless image. (Kingsolver 63) The very fact that the trees are unable to reproduce simply due to their location relative to each other is, in itself, a profound symbol of the distance Codi places between herself and others in order to escape to the constant feeling of loss and death around her. Similarly, during her biology class, Codi discovers that the town's river is severely polluted by a nearby mining establishment in "A River on the Moon". “Our water was dead. It might as well have come from a river on the moon,” Codi explains, giving palpable meaning to the chapter title. (Kingsolver 110) The lifeless state of the river bears great similarity to Codi's personal ecosystem, as "[the memory of the land] is about the idea of ​​home." (Rubenstein 206) The few frogs and fish of the river, carrying inexplicable life, represent the citizens of Grace, continuing slowly and unknowingly through their days,.". 187-189