Mia Patel
In Sharon Creech's 1994 novel, 'Walk Two Moons', the protagonist Salamanca Tree Hiddle, also known as Sal, is forced to move away from her family's farm in Kentucky after her mother leaves. Sal misses her farm and the natural environment, so when her love interest Ben gifts her a chicken, she is grateful and kisses him. Sal names the chicken Blackberry, reflecting her memories of her mother and the blackberries she tasted when kissing trees. The chicken, named Blackberry, symbolises Sal's love of nature and animals, and Ben's understanding and appreciation of her.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for gift | Ben gives Sal a chicken because he knows she misses her farm |
| Symbolism | Ben names the chicken Blackberry, referencing the blackberry kisses mentioned in Sal's journal |
| Sal's reaction | Sal kisses Ben in gratitude and later writes about the gift in her journal |
| Narrative purpose | The chicken serves as a symbol of Sal and Ben's shared affection and respect, as well as Sal's love of nature |
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What You'll Learn
- Ben gives Sal a chicken to show his love and respect for her
- The chicken is named Blackberry, after the taste of Sal and Ben's first kiss
- The chicken symbolises Sal's love of nature and animals
- The chicken is a gift to cheer Sal up, as she misses her farm
- Sal's mother will not return, but Sal and Phoebe project their feelings onto objects like the chicken
Ben gives Sal a chicken to show his love and respect for her
In Sharon Creech's young adult novel Walk Two Moons, the protagonist, 13-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle (Sal), embarks on a road trip with her grandparents to find her missing mother. Along the way, Sal shares stories about her friend Phoebe Winterbottom, whose mother had also disappeared. Sal's story also involves her memories of her mother, including her desire for blackberries and her love for nature.
Ben, a friend of Sal and Phoebe, gives Sal a chicken named Blackberry as a gift. This gesture is significant in showing Ben's love and respect for Sal. Firstly, it demonstrates his thoughtfulness and understanding of Sal's feelings. Sal had moved away from her family farm in Kentucky and missed her previous life. The chicken represents Sal's connection to her rural roots and her love for animals and nature. By giving her a chicken, Ben acknowledges and appreciates this aspect of Sal's identity, showing his care and consideration for her interests.
Secondly, the name Ben gives to the chicken, Blackberry, holds a special meaning for Sal. Sal has fond memories of her mother enjoying blackberries, which symbolize nature's spontaneous bounty and her mother's desire to share her love of nature with her family. Sal also wrote in her journal about tasting blackberries when she kissed trees, and she joked with Ben about their first kiss tasting like blackberries. By naming the chicken Blackberry, Ben not only shows his attention to Sal's stories and memories but also his willingness to honour and celebrate them. This shared understanding and appreciation bring them closer together.
Furthermore, Ben's gift of the chicken serves as a romantic gesture. Sal finds herself attracted to Ben, and their relationship develops throughout the story. The chicken becomes a symbol of their connection and a reminder of their first kiss, which they had anticipated tasting like blackberries. When Ben finally kisses Sal, he asks if she tasted blackberries, and she kisses him again. The chicken, therefore, becomes intertwined with their romantic story, making it a meaningful token of Ben's affection for Sal.
Ben's gift of the chicken to Sal is a thoughtful and meaningful act that showcases his love, respect, and appreciation for her. It demonstrates his understanding of Sal's interests, his celebration of her stories and memories, and his romantic gestures towards her. Through this gift, Ben expresses his affection and strengthens their bond, adding a layer of depth to their relationship within the narrative of Walk Two Moons.
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The chicken is named Blackberry, after the taste of Sal and Ben's first kiss
In Sharon Creech's young adult novel, 'Walk Two Moons', the protagonist, Salamanca Tree Hiddle, also known as Sal, is forced to move away from her family's farm in Kentucky to Euclid, Ohio, after her mother leaves. Sal's friend, Ben, who lives with Sal's friend Mary Lou and her family, is attracted to Sal and often finds excuses to spend time with her. Knowing that Sal misses her farm, Ben gifts her a chicken, which she names Blackberry, after the taste of Sal and Ben's first kiss.
Ben tries to kiss Sal several times, but misses her mouth and kisses her collarbone and ear instead. When they finally share a kiss, Ben asks Sal if she tasted blackberries. Sal kisses him again and says the kiss was perfect. She looks forward to sharing more blackberry kisses with him when he visits.
The blackberries symbolize nature's spontaneous bounty and generosity, to which Sal's mother is keenly attuned. Sal's mother once sneaked a mouthful of fresh blackberries and kissed a tree. As gifts for Sal and her father, the blackberries symbolize her desire to share her love of the earth and its goodness with her family.
The chicken, Blackberry, is important in 'Walk Two Moons' as it represents Sal and Ben's first kiss and their shared connection to nature and the earth's bounty. It is also a symbol of Ben's love and respect for Sal, as he appreciates her story and wants to honor her love of animals and nature.
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The chicken symbolises Sal's love of nature and animals
In Sharon Creech's young adult novel Walk Two Moons, the protagonist, Salamanca Tree Hiddle (Sal), is forced to move away from her family's farm in Kentucky after her mother leaves. Sal is very attached to the farm, and her love for nature and animals is evident in the way she misses her old life.
When Sal returns home, she is greeted by Ben, who is waiting for her with a gift—a chicken. Ben knows that Sal misses her farm, so he brings her this gift to show his love and respect for her. Sal is so grateful that she kisses him. Sal names the chicken Blackberry, after the blackberry kisses she and Ben share. Sal's memories of her mother involve blackberries, and she associates the taste of blackberries with kissing. The blackberries symbolize nature's bounty and generosity, and Sal's mother's desire to share her love of nature with her family.
The chicken symbolizes Sal's love of nature and animals, as it is a gift from Ben that represents his understanding and appreciation of her interests and passions. Sal's attachment to the chicken also reflects her difficulty in dealing with her mother's absence. She transfers her feelings to the chicken, using it as a source of comfort and a way to avoid the painful truth of her mother's departure.
Through Sal's journey and storytelling, Walk Two Moons explores themes of loss, identity, and self-discovery. Sal's love for nature and animals, represented by the chicken, is an important aspect of her character and plays a role in her personal growth throughout the novel.
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The chicken is a gift to cheer Sal up, as she misses her farm
In Sharon Creech's young adult novel "Walk Two Moons", the protagonist Salamanca Tree Hiddle, known as Sal, is forced to move away from her family's farm in Kentucky to Euclid, Ohio, after her mother leaves. Sal's father agrees not to sell the farm but decides to move away as everything in Kentucky reminds him of Sal's mother.
Sal misses her farm, and when she returns home, Ben is waiting for her with a gift—a chicken. Ben knows that Sal misses her farm, so he brings her a chicken to cheer her up. Sal kisses Ben in gratitude. Sal names the chicken Blackberry, after the blackberry kisses she shared with Ben. The blackberry kisses come from Sal's memory of her mother sneaking a mouthful of fresh blackberries and kissing a tree. The blackberries symbolize nature's spontaneous bounty and generosity, and Sal's mother's desire to share her love of nature with her family.
Ben's gift of the chicken is significant because it shows his love and respect for Sal. While other students in their class mocked Sal for the story of the blackberry kiss, Ben appreciated it and wanted to honor Sal's love of nature. The chicken also serves as a symbol of Sal's denial and avoidance of the truth that her mother is not coming back. Like her friend Phoebe, who clings to her mother's sweater, Sal transfers her feelings to the chicken as a way of dealing with the trauma of her mother's abandonment.
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Sal's mother will not return, but Sal and Phoebe project their feelings onto objects like the chicken
In Sharon Creech's young adult novel, "Walk Two Moons", the protagonist Salamanca Tree Hiddle, also known as Sal, is forced to move away from her family's farm in Kentucky to Euclid, Ohio, after her mother leaves. Sal's father agrees not to sell the farm but decides to move away as everything in Kentucky reminds him of Sal's mother. During the cross-country road trip with her grandparents, Sal tells them stories about her friend Phoebe Winterbottom, whose mother has also disappeared.
Sal and Phoebe project their feelings onto objects like the chicken, as they struggle to accept that their mothers will not return. Sal receives a chicken from Ben, a boy she is attracted to, and names it Blackberry, after her mother's desire to compete with and be as good as her father, and her memory of her mother sneaking a mouthful of fresh blackberries and kissing a tree. The blackberries symbolize nature's spontaneous bounty and Sal's mother's desire to share her love of nature with her family. The chicken represents Sal's feelings of abandonment and her hope that her mother will return.
Similarly, Phoebe brandishes her mother's sweater in front of her father, unable to accept that her mother isn't coming back. She transfers her feelings onto the sweater to minimize the pain she feels inside. Both Sal and Phoebe deal with the trauma of their mothers' abandonment by attaching their emotions to objects associated with their mothers.
As Sal's journey continues, she and her grandparents get closer to Lewiston, Idaho, where Sal hopes to find her mother. Gram, Sal's grandmother, expresses her wish that Sal's mother could come home, indicating that it is physically impossible for her to return. Despite this, Sal persists in her belief that her mother will come back, bringing out postcards her mother has written to her as "proof". Sal's attachment to the chicken and Phoebe's attachment to the sweater are symbolic of their shared struggle to accept their mothers' absence and their longing for their return.
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Frequently asked questions
Ben gives Sal a chicken because he knows she misses her family's farm. Sal names the chicken Blackberry, after the blackberry kisses she and Ben share.
The chicken symbolizes Sal's love of animals and nature. It also symbolizes Ben's love and respect for Sal.
The chicken is significant in the context of Sal's mother's absence as it represents Sal's attempt to cope with the trauma of her mother's disappearance. Sal transfers her feelings about her mother's absence onto the chicken, as a way to avoid facing the truth.
Yes, in addition to the chicken, blackberries are also used as a symbol in the book. Sal associates the taste of blackberries with kissing after recalling a memory of her mother sneaking a mouthful of fresh blackberries and kissing a tree. Blackberries symbolize nature's spontaneity and generosity, as well as the unexpected sweet moments in life that occur even during tragic times.
