Introduction
There are several important themes in the short story “Badeye” by Ron Rash, and love is among them. The author describes that fathers’ and mothers’ love can take varied forms, and children view this feeling and its manifestation differently, but still value it. To support his claim that love is essential to kids’ lives, Rash uses a range of literary devices, including irony, symbolism, and character development.
Fatherly Love
Although this might seem obscure to some readers, love is one of the short story’s central themes, and it is depicted in different ways through its characters. Firstly, the author describes the strength, power, and uniqueness of fatherly love. In the storyteller’s neighborhood, Badeye Carter sells snowcones to children while also being known for other, less legal activities (Rash 255-257).
Fathers of local children understand their passion and give them money to buy the dessert, and the author calls this system a conspiracy against mothers. Thus, “the fathers, after a day or two of ignoring their children’s pleas, began to slip nickels to their offspring” (Rash 257). This agreement between the parent and the kid pleases them as they understand and trust each other more.
Such a system was also established between the narrator and his dad, and it developed into a stronger, more intimate connection as they began sharing their interest in snakes. The most evident proof of love is given when it is the narrator’s birthday, and his father gives him a beautiful and long-wanted snake. Rash writes, “When I asked him where the snake had come from, he told me he had driven to Charlotte that afternoon and had visited three pet shops before finally finding what he wanted” (259). This is a demonstration of pure, deep fatherly love as the man sincerely seeks something that will bring joy to his son.
Motherly Love
Further, the narrator’s mother shows a different type of love toward her son. For example, to ensure the narrator does not buy the dessert from Badeye, she even tries to make similar snow cones. Thus, “according to the final sentence of the recipe, which my mother chanted again and again, /…/, the result was «an inexpensive taste treat every bit as good as the commercial snowcone all children love” (Rash 257).
This quote, along with other parts of the short story, suggests that the narrator’s mother is more protective and caring. She does not want her son involved in any risky activities and shows greater awareness of the dangers snakes and Badeye might pose. To restrict her child from such activities, she does not use violence or aggression but tries to offer an alternative. For instance, she gives the narrator baseball cards and a chemistry set to shift his interest from snakes to scary stories about toothaches or venomous reptiles (Rash 260). Her methods are imbued with love and care, though they differ from those the father shows.
Snakes as Symbols of Love
Further, the symbolism in the short story helps the author convey their message more effectively. Snakes are complex symbols in the story, representing love, danger, and sin. Regarding the first, snakes symbolize the deep connection and affection between the father and his son, which, like the reptiles around the main character’s house, is not always seen.
Before the boy became interested in snakes, there was a distance between the parent and the child because the former failed to understand the latter’s vision and desires (Rash 258). However, the narrator then says, “It was the snakes that brought us together” (Rash 258). Thus, these reptiles highlight the deep, intimate father-son love and symbolize it.
Irony in the Short Story
Another literary device that highlights the topic of love in “Badeye” is irony. The author uses it to emphasize further the differences between fathers’ and mothers’ feelings and ways of expressing them. It is somewhat ironic that all parents know about Badeye’s illegal activities. Yet, mothers try to protect their kids, while fathers encourage them to buy snow cones and communicate with the seller (Rash 255-267).
Without this irony, the readers would not understand the strength of love that the author wanted to highlight. There is also irony in the narrator’s mother’s anticipation of the onset of cold days. The boy says that he would later “understand how wonderful those falling leaves made her feel, for they signaled summer’s end and the coming of old weather” (Rash 264). Most people enjoy summer, but the narrator’s mother knows that only cold seasons bring more safety to her son’s life. This anticipation is ironic but also stresses how vital her child is to her.
Conclusion
To conclude, the theme of love seems central to the short story, as it is presented from different angles and supported by symbols and irony. Fathers from the narrator’s neighborhood demonstrate their love by supporting their kids’ interests, and it is more evident in how the boy’s dad is engaged in his collection of snakes. Mothers’ love, on the other hand, is more caring and careful as they are focused on reducing various risks and dangers. Snakes symbolize the love between the boy and his father, and the narrator’s mother’s anticipation of cold weather highlights her desire for a safer environment for her child.
Work Cited
Rash, Ron. “Badeye.” Something Rich and Strange: Selected Stories, HarperCollins, 2014, pp. 255-264.