Birthmarks
Robert and Marie both have birthmarks, which represent the freed
slaves’ hopes for family reunification. Since slavery has dislocated their
family for nearly a generation, the only knowledge that Iola and Robert have
of their more distant relatives is their physical descriptions. Their
grandmother’s slave song is the sole memory that Iola and Robert share.
Robert recalls the mole on Marie’s cheek, and Iola’s photo of her mother
convinces Robert that Marie is his sister. Robert displays “a red spot on
his temple” that identifies him as Iola’s uncle. Family is of the utmost
importance—Iola even refuses to marry Dr. Gresham because she prioritizes
finding her long-lost mother. Birthmarks identify individuality and family
legacy and offer hope that families will one day be reunited.
Natural Imagery
Harper rarely describes setting, but the descriptions of natural
imagery that she does include work symbolically to offer unique perspectives
on the events taking place. Prior to the Civil War, slaves held their secret
prayer meetings in the dismal woods. Harper’s transformation of the post-war
North Carolina countryside to a fertile, blossoming setting symbolizes
rebirth and optimism—a passage from slavery to freedom. When Dr. Latimer and
Iola arrive in North Carolina, their home is shrouded in flowers, which
suggests both the South’s renewal and the couple’s crossing of a threshold
into married life. Harper also details the natural imagery surrounding two
marriage proposal scenes. Dr. Latimer’s proposal to Iola occurs amidst the
end of summer on a beautiful day, and the lovely scenery Harper describes
suggests contentment and the rightness of the decision to get married,
particularly for strong young women such as Iola. Harry proposes to Miss
Delany on a carriage ride through a forest, and Miss Delany comments on the
“stately pines that remind [her] of a procession of hooded monks.” This
metaphor refers to the sanctity and purity of marriage.
Aunt Linda
The character of Aunt Linda serves as a symbol of optimism, and her
visionary capability develops the novel’s theme of vanquishing slavery and
foreshadows the novel’s plot. Aunt Linda has premonitions of liberation and
transcendence for blacks, and she predicts the North’s victory in the war
and the subsequent abolition of slaves. She seems certain of her visions of
glory and freedom from captivity and thus exudes positive energy and
enthusiasm. From one of her visions, Aunt Linda predicts Iola’s arrival in
the South and her success in ameliorating conditions for black women. Aunt
Linda sees blacks as uplifted, and, because of her visions, she herself is
elevated to a role akin to a Biblical figure or an oracle who predicts the
future.
