Talk:The Blood Canvas/@comment-25941663-20150216133913/@comment-25941663-20150216134741

About the symbolism

I am not good with finding meaning and symbolism in stories, but I will give it a go. Keep in mind that I wrote all of this before reading the last part of the story. I had a feeling it would explain a lot, and it seems I was right.

I think the story is about sexuality and how one accepts/discovers his own. The protagonist is a lesbian and is slowly realizing this. I got this idea by how colour enters her world when she first sees and meets Carmen.

The Hanger is the boys that flirt with her, but she is afraid of them.

The Burner is her family, trying to 'vomit down her throat' and make her 'normal', just like them. She fends them off as well.

Everyone else is just everyday people that are part of the 'normal' world. They gaze at her every time she does something out of the ordinary.

I believe the reason they are scared of her blood is because they don't want to be part of her suffering. It is weird to explain, but I think it is the same reaction as when people who don't do drugs try to get away from addicts/suicidal people.

Lastly, I think that the protagonist is either abusing drugs, or is hurting herself/wants to kill herself.