Ace of Diamonds Gang
In “The Ace of Diamonds Gang” written by Owen Marshall,
Marshall uses the symbols of the Ace of Diamonds and the library card to help
express the idea of the real world taking over the fantasy world of children.
The Ace of Diamonds is the sole icon of the Ace of Diamonds Gang and is used in the name of the gang, on their calling card and on their masks. It is used to express their notoriety. The gang liken themselves to famous secret societies such as the Black Hand, the Jacobites and the Scarlet Pimpernel. These exaggerations of their effect on other peoples The Ace of Diamonds is a symbol of freedom to those in the gang, especially for the narrator who uses the Ace of diamonds Gang ‘to escape from being 13 years old in a provincial town.’ He uses his imagination to escape. The gang mostly use their
The library card was left on Jorgesson’s door instead of the Ace of Diamonds. Instead of the card representing anonymity, notoriety and mystique, the narrator leaves the card symbolising the opposite, conformity, normality and mundane reality of the narrators and the other boys’ lives. The library card signifies the gang members’ ordinary lives and their deficiencies. ‘Ashley’s wind, Bernie’s glasses and Hec Green having to in at 9 o’clock’ were several of these deficiencies. The library card symbolises truth, instead of being remembered as ‘heroes of history’, they were most likely going to remembered as library card carrying normal citizens, if at all. The library card signifies the end of the Ace of Diamonds Gang, ‘the end of free imagination’ and the start of adolescence
Marshall uses the cards to symbolise the boys’ fantasy and the young men. The Ace of Diamonds represents the boys’ lives as part of the Ace of Diamonds gang and the library card represents the ‘end of free imagination and of boyhood perhaps’. These symbols develop understanding in Marshall’s idea of showing the transition from imagination-filled boyhood to the ‘before the uncertainly adolescence.’
The Ace of Diamonds is the sole icon of the Ace of Diamonds Gang and is used in the name of the gang, on their calling card and on their masks. It is used to express their notoriety. The gang liken themselves to famous secret societies such as the Black Hand, the Jacobites and the Scarlet Pimpernel. These exaggerations of their effect on other peoples The Ace of Diamonds is a symbol of freedom to those in the gang, especially for the narrator who uses the Ace of diamonds Gang ‘to escape from being 13 years old in a provincial town.’ He uses his imagination to escape. The gang mostly use their
The library card was left on Jorgesson’s door instead of the Ace of Diamonds. Instead of the card representing anonymity, notoriety and mystique, the narrator leaves the card symbolising the opposite, conformity, normality and mundane reality of the narrators and the other boys’ lives. The library card signifies the gang members’ ordinary lives and their deficiencies. ‘Ashley’s wind, Bernie’s glasses and Hec Green having to in at 9 o’clock’ were several of these deficiencies. The library card symbolises truth, instead of being remembered as ‘heroes of history’, they were most likely going to remembered as library card carrying normal citizens, if at all. The library card signifies the end of the Ace of Diamonds Gang, ‘the end of free imagination’ and the start of adolescence
Marshall uses the cards to symbolise the boys’ fantasy and the young men. The Ace of Diamonds represents the boys’ lives as part of the Ace of Diamonds gang and the library card represents the ‘end of free imagination and of boyhood perhaps’. These symbols develop understanding in Marshall’s idea of showing the transition from imagination-filled boyhood to the ‘before the uncertainly adolescence.’
Paper Parcel
The Paper Parcel written by Owen Marshall uses the symbol of
a paper parcel to convey the ideas of how sexual attraction only lasts a short
time and the differences of opinion between generations.
Marshall uses the paper parcel as a symbol to show how quickly a person’s attraction to others can change. The narrator fears the bad reception his paper parcel costume might get at the dance, although he had some hope “that the parcel was really quite clever and would go down well.” When he arrives at the dance, he notices Tommy who “was a fire chief with a crested helmet that glittered” and his rival Dusty’s “Captain Marvel insignia was startling on his chest.” He then releases that he was just a parcel, “a brown paper parcel with bare legs and sandshoes. A brown paper parcel which crinkled when I moved. ” He realises that his costume is completely ridiculous compared to the other boys’ sensible ones. His date Jelly, beforehand attracted to the narrator, was very aware that he was dressed in a parcel and constantly “was looking at the parcel.” Kelly “had a bland expression on her face” and “even the way she danced with me was different from the other times.” This is a good example of the narrators own theory that being ugly changes people’s opinions of you in other aspects. Being in the paper parcel made him unattractive so Kelly found him very unappealing to dance with. Kelly then even makes up an excuse to “help with supper” in order to avoid dancing with the narrator again. The paper parcel was a lesson “in the transience of sexual preferment.” The paper parcel symbolises the passing of the narrator’s sexual preferment.
The paper parcel also symbolises the differences of opinion between parents and children. The mother’s opinion of the party is as ‘some party, some kids’ thing’ and doesn’t recognise the importance of it for the narrator. The mother finally comes up with an idea for his costume and likes it because “it was a cheap costume” and “the originality of it intrigued her.” This shows that the mother found the paper parcel to the perfect costume; cheap and unusual. When the narrator first hears about his mother’s “great hit” costume idea he repeated “A parcel; Jesus” as if he was finding it hard to believe that he was really going as a brown paper parcel. The paper parcel is a symbol of the lack of understanding of his parents. His mother also suggests that he should arrive later than the time specified on the sheet because “nobody arrives of a dance on time though, my mother said.” The narrator states that his parent’s don’t realise “how little adult convention applies to the young.” The paper parcel is a symbol for all the differences of opinion and misunderstanding between adults and children. It is a symbol to how different an adult’s word is to a child.
The paper parcel is a symbol to both the lack of longevity of sexual desire and the difference of viewpoints between parent and child. The narrator realises that the paper parcel is the cause of his woes, he ‘consoled himself for the bland incomprehension of adults and the loss of sexual status.
Marshall uses the paper parcel as a symbol to show how quickly a person’s attraction to others can change. The narrator fears the bad reception his paper parcel costume might get at the dance, although he had some hope “that the parcel was really quite clever and would go down well.” When he arrives at the dance, he notices Tommy who “was a fire chief with a crested helmet that glittered” and his rival Dusty’s “Captain Marvel insignia was startling on his chest.” He then releases that he was just a parcel, “a brown paper parcel with bare legs and sandshoes. A brown paper parcel which crinkled when I moved. ” He realises that his costume is completely ridiculous compared to the other boys’ sensible ones. His date Jelly, beforehand attracted to the narrator, was very aware that he was dressed in a parcel and constantly “was looking at the parcel.” Kelly “had a bland expression on her face” and “even the way she danced with me was different from the other times.” This is a good example of the narrators own theory that being ugly changes people’s opinions of you in other aspects. Being in the paper parcel made him unattractive so Kelly found him very unappealing to dance with. Kelly then even makes up an excuse to “help with supper” in order to avoid dancing with the narrator again. The paper parcel was a lesson “in the transience of sexual preferment.” The paper parcel symbolises the passing of the narrator’s sexual preferment.
The paper parcel also symbolises the differences of opinion between parents and children. The mother’s opinion of the party is as ‘some party, some kids’ thing’ and doesn’t recognise the importance of it for the narrator. The mother finally comes up with an idea for his costume and likes it because “it was a cheap costume” and “the originality of it intrigued her.” This shows that the mother found the paper parcel to the perfect costume; cheap and unusual. When the narrator first hears about his mother’s “great hit” costume idea he repeated “A parcel; Jesus” as if he was finding it hard to believe that he was really going as a brown paper parcel. The paper parcel is a symbol of the lack of understanding of his parents. His mother also suggests that he should arrive later than the time specified on the sheet because “nobody arrives of a dance on time though, my mother said.” The narrator states that his parent’s don’t realise “how little adult convention applies to the young.” The paper parcel is a symbol for all the differences of opinion and misunderstanding between adults and children. It is a symbol to how different an adult’s word is to a child.
The paper parcel is a symbol to both the lack of longevity of sexual desire and the difference of viewpoints between parent and child. The narrator realises that the paper parcel is the cause of his woes, he ‘consoled himself for the bland incomprehension of adults and the loss of sexual status.
