Symbols

Part of your exam question asks you to focus on the use of symbols in Lin Anderson’s short story “Saving Mr Ugwu”.

The rain

The rain that Mr Ugwu awaits and which eventually comes and saves him from the angry mob of workers dissatisfied with their low pay checks is a symbol of salvation. Furthermore, for Mr Ugwu it is symbolic of being at home as it reminds him of Lagos:

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The monkey

The monkey is a symbol of Mr Ugwu who, like the monkey in the cage, is trapped. Dependant on his white employers he is like the monkey who depends on its white owner to let it free.

But because white Jake Jarvis claims he is similar to his monkey, the monkey also becomes a symbol of white domination. Consequently, when Mr Ugwu kills the monkey he performs a symbolic act of liberation. He wants to free himself of the yoke of the white people (represented by the company he works for).

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Here, we also discuss the symbolism of Mr Ugwu’s material possesions and the garden.