Friday, February 17, 2012

The Color Red in "Two Friends"


We can observe a strong presence of the idea of menopause through Freeman’s inclusion of the color red. The first external presence of the color comes with the bonnet Sarah made for Abby. Although Abby seems to discount the idea of red on a “woman of (her) age,” Sarah insists that she wears it well. This act of giving is the first indication of the possibility of some sexual relationship between the two main characters. The most powerful symbol in this work also features the color red. Each of the main characters have a corresponding cherry tree in the front yard of their house. Obviously, Abby’s tree has not blossomed since her decline in health has begun. It is also notable that Abby’s tree, which was once filled with small red dots (cherries), stops producing when she reaches the age of 50 (which is the common age for menopause. The imagery and evidence for the theme of menopause is overwhelmingly strong. I would like to explore in more depth, however, the possibility that the two main characters have a deeper, sexual relationship. As we progress through the story, we find that Sarah has deep emotional ties to Abby. Although anyone would be sad to lose a lifelong friend, it seems that Sarah’s emotions intensify when Freeman features the color red and Abby’s lack thereof. When commenting on Abby’s physical appearance, Sarah is detailed as full of “pride and resentment” (412). It is important that Freeman places “pride” before “resentment,” because the former has a deeper capacity for emotional attachment. The latter sounds more like competition between women. Abby and Sarah even assume the male and female roles (respectively) in a common marriage-relationship. Sarah even endures a seemingly impossible task (transferring all of the cherry blossoms to another tree) just to give Abby a pleasant sight before she dies. This act is what fully convinced me that Sarah loves Abby. The sequencing of information also indicates that there is more to this relationship than we initially observe: as little bits of supplemental information are not initially revealed, this indicates the possibility of a concealed relationship. What do you guys think about the possibility of a sexual relationship between Sarah and Abby?

2 comments:

  1. Well, it doesn't have to be you, Matt, but someone needs to write a paper or two on the topics you've brought up connected to this story. Very well done!

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