Building Bridges

 Building Bridges Essay

Jared Dougall 711

              Symbols can be used in many different ways, such as to show ideas and feelings, and to help a story flow. In the short story, “Building Bridges”, the author, Andrea Davis Pinkney demonstrates how symbols can portray characters thoughts and emotions in many ways, and by using symbols she helps progress the plot. She uses symbols such as the Ham Skillet, the Brooklyn Bridge and Mama Lil’s cigarette within the short story. Mama Lil, Bebe’s 73 year old grandmother, is illiterate and racist, and uneducated, but a person with good intentions, through and through. Bebe, a teen who is independent and heavy-set, and doesn’t care about her appearance. The two are arguing over whether or not Bebe should work on a team to help renovate the Brooklyn Bridge. They both go to symbols that show freedom, regret, remorse and hope. Without these symbols, the story wouldn’t move along as well.

              Furthermore, a symbol that the author uses is Brooklyn Bridge itself to show Bebe’s hope for freedom and independence from her grandmother, and Bebe’s passion for engineering. “Ahead in the distance, stood the Brooklyn Bridge. This was the best spot in Brooklyn’s Red Hook section for seeing the bridge. I’d come to this corner and studied the bridge millions of times. And on every one of those times, I was taken by what I would come to call Brooklyn Belle.” This quote shows that Bebe escapes Mama Lil’s constricting grip by going to the bridge and experiencing ‘Brooklyn Bell’. Bebe wants to work on the bridge and to become an engineer, and Mama Lil is stopping her, so she gets as close to her dream as she can. “Tonight I’d draw Belle with her lighted cape. I sketched slowly at first, then faster, my pencil working with the speed of my excitement – the thrill that worked me over every time I sketched that bridge.” Additionally, this quote shows how much Bebe loves engineering, and how much she longs to break through the limits, and see what she can do.

              Secondly, another symbol used by Andrea Davis Pinkney is Mama Lil’s cigarette, which shows Mama Lil’s way of escaping. Mama Lil has had a pathetic life, and has achieved nothing. So to retreat from her miserable life she smokes the world away. “I’m enjoying my cig, Bebe,” she said, “It tastes better with my eyes closed.” Mama Lil’s dialogue shows the reader that she is neglecting Bebe, and is taking the easy way out of life; smoking blindly. Mama Lil is doing this because she is old and has had a terrible life where she has achieved nothing. “The cigarette had burned to ash. Its smoke had gone, but its heavy odor remained in the room.” This quote symbolizes that Mama Lil’s life was gone, but the hardships she faces still burdened her. It also symbolizes that Mama Lil had wasted her life to the point where the only thing worth living for is Bebe, and she was wasting that too.

              Finally, the special ham skillet that Mama Lil made for Bebe was also a symbol. When Mama Lil was asking for forgiveness of Bebe the morning of the bridge team meeting, she made Bebe’s favorite breakfast. “I awoke to the smell of Dunbar’s Ham coming from the kitchen. The sun hadn’t risen; twilight slowly approached. I listened for Mama Lil’s TV, but all I heard was crackling grease and the shuffle of Mama Lil’s feet against the kitchen tile.” The ham represents Mama Lil’s remorse for stopping Bebe’s hopes and dreams. She shows her asking forgiveness by getting up at the crack of dawn to serve Bebe the ham, which is only served on special occasions.   “When I got to the Kitchen, my place was set. Mama Lil scurried between the stove and the table, setting down napkins, pouring orange juice, flipping the ham as it rustled in the skillet.” That quote also shows that Mama Lil put in a good faith effort to help Bebe get to the bridge. Also, Mama Lil put in a great deal of effort to please Bebe on her big day.

              In conclusion, the ham, bridge and cigarette were all extremely effective ways of demonstrating ideas throughout the story, and also helped progress the plot. Mama Lil and Bebe’s character arch were supported by the symbols, which not only moved along their character arch, but also moved along the plot as a whole. The bridge really showed Bebe’d disparity, the cigarette showed Mama Lil’s regret, and the ham also demonstrates Mama Lil’s asking for forgiveness. All in all, symbols really do rock!