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The main character of this chapter is in the navy. Is it significant that he crossed the Bridge of Woes?
He's looking for a sign depicting a turtle and two snakes, one of which is set to strike at the turtle's tail...what might that image symbolize?
Why does the old man think that the main character is there, initially?
Why is it significant that the old man kills a dog to prove the potency of his potion?
So the big question is this: Who is this man, and what is he going to kill with the potion? Again, note that it's 1952.
39 comments:
The prologue of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle made me incredibly suspicious of the characters in the novel. The fact that the main character walked across the Bridge of Woes made it seem like he was mad and upset, but ready to stir up some trouble. I believe the sign with the two snakes and turtle on it foreshadows some kind of death later on in the story. Since one of the snakes is about to attack the turtle behind its back, I have a feeling something unexpected will occur. The unidentified man stepped into the herbalist’s place and asked for rat poison. In exchange he gave penicillin to the herbalist. I didn’t buy it one bit that the poison was needed for rats. Especially since the main character didn’t want just regular rat poison. He desired something to kill them quickly and efficiently. He also called for a poison that would make it look like a natural death. The herbalist shows him how strong this poison is by killing a dog with it. The dog died instantly. This is significant because it displays the potential for how much power this mysterious man can have with this potion. I believe this strange man is a murderer to watch out for later in the book.
I thought the prologue was very dark and quite morbid. The main character is described to be walking down streets until he sees a sign that has a snake biting a turtle’s tail. The turtle is facing the opposite direction of where the snake is, kind of like the snake is sneaking up on it. I think that Wroblewski used the sign to foreshadow an event later in the novel where someone is “stabbed in the back” or betrayed. When the man reaches the herbalist’s shop, he is greeted by an older man who looks as if he was expecting him. The man asks for something that would kill rats fast, painless, and make the death look natural. I thought that his order was odd because it sounded like he made up the story about the rats. In return for the medicine, the man gave the older man penicillin. I believe that this was another case of foreshadowing and someone will die later on in the book because of either being given lethal medicine, or having lack of proper medicine.
By reading the prologue, I could tell that magic was going to be mixed into this story. I could tell that the herbalist was into mystics just by the way he talked. From his articulation, he let on that he knew something that no one else did; he seemed extremely mysterious. For centuries, herbs have been used for things other than for just medicine. An example of this would be protection from evil. I think that the instance with the dog was provided to show just how fragile life is, whether it is of an animal or human.
The symbol of the turtle and two snakes, one of which trying to bite the turtles tail, could mean a possible death later on in the story. A foreshadowing of what's to come. I think it could also mean a betrayal is going to happen later on.
Now thinking about it. The man could be Edgar's fathers brother Claude. As the breif synopsis of the book in the beginning States, Edgar's father does die and that's when Claude comes back and takes over the farm. Edgar even believes that claude could have possibly murdered his father. Now I'm just sharp shooting here, but perhaps the Claude is the man in the beginning, maybe he uses the potion to kill bis brother? Just a thought.
1952 is right in the middle of the Korean War...this must be how it connects to a farm in Northern Wisconsin. The snakes that are about to attack the turtle from behind could symbolize betrayal, and being that the main character is in the Navy, he must be about to betray his country somehow with the poison. Being that he wants it to appear a natural death, the sign with the snakes and turtle also shows that the turtle will never know what killed it because it happened from behind. The man must be keen on keeping all of this a secret. I think that the author points out that the old man kills a dog to prove the potency because the main character is really going to use the poison to eliminate a bunch of dogs...Sawtelle dogs.
The man crossing the Bridge of Woes in this chapter could be representative of "going to the dark side" because he is both making the decision to buy poison, but also witness the death of an innocent dog. The snake and the turtle could perhaps symbolize Claude backstabbing Edgar's dad to get to his mother. His mother could also very well be the second snake who isn't biting him. The old man thinks the main character is going to buy penicillin. Answer to big question: The man is going to kill John's dog(s).
The man searching for the poisonous potion is Claude, Gar’s brother. Although the author does not reveal the man’s identity, he gives clues such as a man from the navy and a man in search of a sign with a turtle and two snakes. When Claude first arrives to the Sawtelle’s home, he carves a turtle into the soap. The turtle in the soap symbolizes the event of him purchasing the poison from the old man. The image of the snakes snapping at the turtle’s tail symbolizes Claude’s plan to murder his brother.
The sign that depicts a turtle and two snakes symbolizes the strong taking down the weak. The old man initially think the main character is there for money. He used the potion on the dog to show that it was effective. I thought that the prologue was extremely melancholy, dark, and depressing. It didn't give a hint on what he was going to do with the potion, but I don't think its for rats.
The man is looking for a sign of a snake attacking a turtle from behind. The turtle symbolizes unawareness and the snake sudden death, striking when least expected. I believe the man is Claude. In the beginning of the story the narrator talks about two brothers, one who left home while the other stayed. Claude could be the brother who left for the navy and John the brother who remained on the farm. Whatever/whoever Claude is trying to kill, he wants it to look natural. Maybe Claude is planning on murdering his own flesh and blood to have the farm (or Mary) for himself.
The prologue definitely sparks an interest in you, as the reader, especially as you read on and find out that the book actually seems to be about a family who breeds dogs. I'm not totally convinced that the man in the prologue was Claude, but all the signs lead to him. I guess I would like to think that inside Claude is a good person. Maybe not. Could a poison like that even cause a brain aneurism? Anyway, this prologue definitely gets you thinking, leaving questions unanswered.
The sign of the turtle and the two snakes to me symbolizes betrayal, secrets, and death. The snake is going for the turtle's tail, from behind, being unseen, sneaky, waiting to strike. I feel it indicates a death in the future of the book. Also in the prologue the man who bought the poison is obviously up to no good. Maybe him crossing the bridge symbolizes him stepping into a darker world. He's getting himself into trouble. Honestly I don't know who I think he is. A lot of people think it's Claude, but I feel like that choice is really obvious. I'm just curious to learn who it is and what he's up to.
I think it is significant that he crossed the Bridge of Woes because this, obviously because of its name, could symbolize sadness, death, anger, and maybe even revenge. The snake that is going to attack the turtle was going to attack the turtle behind its back, unexpectedly. This could foreshadow the same thing happening in the future of the book: an unexpected killing or betrayal behind a characters' back. The potion the man was given was not for rats, obviously. I agree with the above comments in thinking that the man is Claude.
I think it's significant that the main character in this chapter crossed the Bridge of Woes because it could be a way the Author is showing us that this main character is prepared to face the greif of killing someone by crossing the bridge. I think that the sign the main character is looking for is a symbol of betrayal. The sign is of two snakes and a turtle, in which one of the snakes is set to strike the turtle's tail from behind. I think that this is also foreshadowing a death later on in the story that is caused by someone that no one would suspect. I think it's significant that thr old man kills the dog because it proves to the reader and the buyer that it can kill and it's effective.
I cannot find any significance in the name of the bridge other than the shop he visited was located in a peculiar part of the square that was isolated from the other vendors. The snake is the universal sign for evil and treachery; furthermore, having it biting the turtle from the rear symbolizes betrayal and infidelity. The old man thinks the sailor is there to sell him penicillin for his family. Before they traded, the old man wanted to make sure the sailor understood the power of the contents within and what exactly he must do so the poison will be effective. The old man also understands the responsibility of taking life; he only gives away the vile so that he may be able to save his grandson. I predict that the man is Claude and plans on killing someone or something dear to the Sawtelle household.
I think it is kind of significant that the man crosses over the Bridge of Woes because it could symbolize that the man is sad or regrets what he is going to do. The two snakes and the turtle could possibly symbolize betrayal and treachery. When the man first arrives at the shop, the old shopkeeper thinks that the man is there to give medicine to his family, when he is actually there to get a poison for "rats". I think this man is definitely Claude, and he's probably going to use the poison to kill a Sawtelle dag, which would be the act of betrayal symbolized by the snake and turtle sign.
The image of of the turtle and two snakes symbolizes numerous different things, in my opinion. One symbol could be unawareness and betrayal. In this case, the turtle would represent the unawareness and the snakes would then represent betrayal and death. which leads me into another symbol of this image: Death. This image could be a for of foreshadowing for a later death that could potentislly occur. With the snakes being the fittest of the two creatures, it could lead into the scenario of "Only the strongest survive".
Crossing the Bridge of Woes I think is a sign of good to bad. As soon as you cross there's no going back. I think that the sign may depict betrayal. It may also be a sign of deceitfulness. Maybe the first snake is leading the turtle and luring him for the second snake to trick him, maybe even kill him. I'm not sure who the man is, I'm sure he'll be back though. Maybe he's trying to come up with a way to kill many people silently. I'm not sure who he's going to be killing but that year the Korean war began so maybe the herbalist was unknowingly helping his country in the war against North Korea.
The prologue is actually set before the main story begins. This tells me that as the novel progresses it will start to reveal more about both this odd men, and what the main character wishes to do with his potion. The image of the two snakes and the turtle with one snake set to strike could symbolize how one person might use violence while another refuses to. The old man kills the dog to prove the potency because the main character was so specific about how he wanted the death to occur. Doing this showed that the potion was no fraud and would indeed work as the man intended. The man himself is most likely not going to kill rats with his new potion though, I feel as though he will murder someone, and with the limitations of technology in 1952, he will get away with it.
The man says he needs a potion to kills rats. The unusual thing about this request is that the potion must kill the rat instantly. The man also says that the other rats should not be able to tell that the rat was poisoned. It has to look like the one rat just fell asleep and didn’t wake up. It seems unusual that this potion has to convince the other rats something isn’t wrong. What is also unusual is that the man just says one rat. If you have many rats, you probably want to kill them all. When testing the potion on the dog, the man uses a reed. If someone were to poison a rat, this would be nearly impossible to do and highly impractical. At the end of the chapter it is clear that the man doesn’t want to kill rats when the older man says “I think here we trade one life for one life.” The man is plotting to kill someone and wants a discreet way to do it.
I think that the significance of the main character crossing the bridge of woes is that he is planning on doing something terrible. Also, the sign that he is looking also seems to foreshadow that he is going to do something bad because the turtle is distracted by the first snake and then it gets attacked from behind by the second snake. I think that the sign symbolizes trickery. The old man thinks that the main character is there to give him medicine. The old man killing the dog with the potion is significant because it possibly foreshadows the main character killing one of the Sawtelle's dogs.
I think that the man who buys the potion is Gar Sawtelle's brother who had left the Sawtelle's land years earlier. The year 1952 seems to fit because it would be after Gar had married Trudy in 1951, but before Gar and Trudy decided to have a baby in 1954. The fact that the man states that "there are a lot of rats in the Navy" suggests that he will use the potion on a man in the Navy and wants to remain undetected. However, the old man testing the potion on the dog that walked on three legs suggests that he could use it on something that he thinks is to weak to deserve to live.
The image of the turtle and two snakes symbolizes how the strong gain up on the weak and attack from behind. Kind of like the potion. It is secretive in killing the dog. The man must kill the dog to prove how strong and dangerous a potion like his could be. To make the navy man think about his actions before he commits.
When the main character crosses the Bridge of Woes it is like he is turning evil and going to the dark side. The sign that he is looking for has a snake that is sneaking up on the turtle and it could symbolize how dangerous the man and his potions are and how death can strike unseen. The old man thinks that the main character is there for rat poison initially. This man could be the son who left home and now wants the farm to himself along his brother's wife. He may be willing to kill his brother for the prizes.
I think the significance of the main character crossing the bridge of woes is that he is about to do something bad out of response to something bad that has happened to him in his past. He asks the herbalist for rat poison that must instantly kill the rats. It seemed to be quite an odd request for just trying to get rid of rats. The herbalist demonstrates just how potent the poison is by giving it to a dog, which dies instantly. I think the man planning to kill something more than rats, and the herbalist recognizes this, and makes a statement about the strength of the potion by killing the dog, hoping the man will reconsider his actions.
The main character crossing the Bridge of Woes is symbolic of the fact that his path is one of misery, both for the main character and the people he crosses. Being in the Navy, he deals with death daily. He searches for the sign marked with a turtle and two snakes, with one about to bite the turtle. The sign foreshadows a possible backstabbing later in the novel. The old man tests the poison on a dog to show the poison works on much more than rats, because the man knows the poison will be used for much more than them, even though the man never said so. Dogs are also a critical part of the novel, so the death of one lays heavily on the tone of the book.
At first I though t the man was going to use the poison on enemies during the Vietnam War. Which wouldn't be right unless he was planning 7 years in advance. My next thought was that when the man gave the example of how fast it killed the stray dog, that the poison might in fact be for dogs. Because after reading the first chapter, I knew the entire book would be about dogs. I'm not sure exactly what it is going to be used for, but that's my guess.
The prologue of the novel follows a man from the navy searching for something in a town in South Korea. I think this man is one of the sons of John and Mary Sawtelle that is mentioned by the narrator in the first chapter. It is said that one of the two brothers left for good while the other one, Edgar's father, stayed on the farm. I predict that the man in the prologue is the brother that left. While he is walking in the rain he is looking for a sign with a turtle and two snakes. I think the turtle symbolizes unawareness and the snake ready to strike the turtle's tail represents sudden death just like the poison that the man searches for. Whatever he is planning on doing with the potion he wants it to look like an accident and a deed of God.
The significance of the main character crossing the Bridge of Woes shows that something bad is going to happen by walking into a darker side of things. The image of the turtle and two snakes comes off creepy to me. I think it is foreshadowing a surprise later on in the novel because the snake is sneaking up behind the turtle. I also think it could be foreshadowing a death.
The significance of the navy officer crossing the Bridge of Woes is that it may have been a "death sentence" to the man. The prologue never reveals what happens to the man after he exchanges the penicillin for the poison and the Bridge of Woes is stated as "the last landmark he new". To further support this, the sign with the two snakes and the turtle with one of the snakes looking to attack the turtle suggest a betrayal that may leave the navy officer as the turtle. The navy officer may only be a messenger to carry out some bigger scheme. The use of the poison can be inferred that because it is 1952 and he is in South Korea that the poison is to be used some how in warfare in the Korean War. To further support this, the old man uses the poison on the stray dog which shows that it isn't simply rat poison but something much worse.
I think the image of the two snakes and turtle represents that someone is going to go behind another's back and attack them. I think that it is ironic that the old man proved the potency of the poison by killing a dog because the book is focused around a family that breeds dogs. I think that the man in the peacoat is planning to kill something much bigger than rats but I don't know what yet.
It IS significant that the main character in this chapter crossed the Bridge of Woes because I think it's basically telling us that he's a bad man. The image of the snake about to strike at the turtles tail could symbolize betrayal and backstabbing. Most likely it's symbolizing Claude's bad intentions.
It is significant that the main character crossed the Bridge of Woes because he is choosing to go down a dark path and might regret what he is about to do. The sign depicting the turtle and two snakes, I think, is symbolizing a betrayal and possible death. It's significant that the old man kills a dog to prove the potency of his potion because it'll most likely be used on larger things as well, like humans. Also, dogs play a large roll in the novel, and the death of one brings out a darker plot to the book.
It is significant that the main character crossed the Bridge of Woes because he is choosing to go down a dark path and might regret what he is about to do. The sign depicting the turtle and two snakes, I think, is symbolizing a betrayal and possible death. It's significant that the old man kills a dog to prove the potency of his potion because it'll most likely be used on larger things as well, like humans. Also, dogs play a large roll in the novel, and the death of one brings out a darker plot to the book.
The prologue to me was very dark and weird. At first I was confused as I read it, but after the part about the sign, things cleared up for me. The sign was of two snakes and a turtle. One snake was behind the turtle about to bite its tail. I think this symbolizes betrayal and bsckstabbing as others have said. I'm not sure if this man was betrayed or maybe he is going to betray someone by using this poison. It may also foreshadow someone being hurt or possibly killed maybe by this poison.
From reading the prologue, it seemed significant that the main character was crossing the Bridge of Woes because he was crossing a bridge of life. He is crossing from being honorable and in the navy to being a man of dark things. He choses to cross over into the darkness which will most likely lead to many woes in life. The sin with the turtle and two snakes is a sign of foreshadowing to me. I feel as if the first snake is a distraction to the turtle so he is not expecting the attack from behind; this symbolizes a possible scenario later in the book where the initial threat is not the one that causes harm. The significance of the old man killing the dog to prove the potency of the poison is that he will probably use it in the future on larger things, such as people.
The man is on his way to see an old herbalist. When he arrives the old man thinks he's there to sell him medicine which we find out later is penicillin. The man tells him no he doesn't want money. Instead he wants an item. The item is a type of poison that can kill rats. I assume that its not actually for a rat. My assumption is confirmed when the man shows him that it can easily kill a dog. This is significant becuase it shows the true power the man will hold.
The sign with the turtle reminded me of something from Asian mythology: The Black Tortoise. It's one of the Four Symbols of Chinese constellations and is known as Hyeonmu in Korean. It is usually depicted with either a snake coiled around it, or with a snake for a head and tail. The Black Tortoise represents the North and the winter. It seemed to me like it could possibly be winter in this chapter and the color black is symbolic of death.
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