Chapter 10: It's More Than Just Rain or Snow
In chapter 10, Foster asserts that all weather written into
literature means something; it is more than just a plot device or an element of
setting. I could agree with this assertion. Foster gives countless examples of
stories that contain rain and snow and what the weather symbolizes in context.
It’s obvious that neither type of weather ever means the same thing- at least,
not exactly. Every chapter of Foster’s has some definitive symbol or
association that is always made when
analyzing each topic at hand. Rain has a couple of those: Noah and the Ark,
cleansing. The difference I saw in this chapter, however, is that it seems like
weather as a symbol is flexible; it can be molded to serve almost any purpose
in meaning or analysis. For example, I found that two of Foster’s
interpretations of rain served purposes that were exactly the opposite: in one
example, rain was a symbol of isolation and the feeling of being truly alone
surrounded by a daunting nature, and in the other, rain was a symbol of
unification, for it falls on every man regardless of personal differences.
Foster gave the example of ironic rain used by Ernest
Hemingway in A Farewell to Arms, which
made me think of another of Hemingway’s books that utilizes weather. In For Whom the Bell Tolls, there is a
snowstorm at a pivotal point in the story, and now that I think about it, the
snow meant a lot. It is the point in the book where Robert Jordan’s plan to
bomb the bridge is about to go into action- This is the worst possible time for
snow. Pilar tells Robert Jordan that she thinks it’s going to snow, but he
refuses to believe her. It’s predictable, however, at this point that it is
certainly going to snow. It’s perfectly inopportune because it complicates all
of Robert Jordan’s long thought out plans. You could say that the snow here is
predictably unpredictable. Here we are- Anselm is in place at the watchpoint
and the rest of the team is cooped up together in the tent, waiting for action.
Robert Jordan is watching the snow fall outside. The snow is cold; it freezes Robert Jordan’s
thoughts. It’s the type of cold that’s truly chilling; it increases the anxiety
and nerves for Robert Jordan. This cold contrasts the warmth of the company and
deep conversation that is taking place inside of the tent. It represents the
stark isolation of Anselm, out there alone at the watchpoint, suffering in the
freezing cold. Anselm as a character is isolated and lonely by nature; his wife
and daughter are dead, so the war effort is all that he has. The snow
represents the intensity of the sacrifices he must make to remain loyal to the
effort.
A lot of times, it’s easy to be cynical. It often feels like
writers don’t purposely plant their symbolism, that we’re just pulling all this
meaning from a creative whim or a practical plot device, but with weather, I
believe it. The purposes Foster came up with make too much sense to overlook.
Weather’s symbolism always added appropriate meaning or irony at least. It’s
easy to make it serve a purpose, and it seems to always serve a significant
one.
