Reflection 5

Marques Rutlin 

Transdisciplinary Communication

Dr.Despain

22 October 2024

Reflection 5

While reading You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, I noticed that the author used many metaphors and symbolism while describing the mother. Instead of calling the mother wise, they used the words dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedia quote that felt important “My mother and grandmother’s conversation doesn’t belong in the cloud. That old song is too sacred for the internet”(Alexie).This quote talks about the cassette tape with the recording of the mom speaking the tribal language. I felt like this quote was added to show how truly sacred and how much the mother meant to them. The author states “And, if she could do it from the afterlife, my mother would schedule a giant powwow on her grave”(Alexie). After researching what a powwow which is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. I believe the author included this to show how supportive and loving the mother is. In a sense, the mother would be proud to see her daughter still dancing and living life. This reading analysis is different to what differently see because it uses a lot more symbolism and hidden meaning than blatantly stating how an author feeling or what is happening.