SYMBOLISM / MOTIFS / IMAGERY / SYMBOLS

Other elements that are present in this novel are symbols and metaphors. Symbols are the use of some unrelated idea to represent something else. Metaphors are direct comparisons made between characters and ideas. There are many symbols and metaphors used by the author such as:

1. The neighborhood around the Horner Homes is described as a metaphor of a beast devouring its children.

2. LaJoe thinks of the neighborhood as a black hole.....

.......14. The rainbow the kids chase is symbolic of the dream, of hope, and of belief.

KEY FACTS

Title: There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America

Author: Alex Kotlowitz

Date Published: 1991

Meaning of the Title: It refers to the comment LaJoe, the mother, makes when Kotlowitz asked her permission to write a book about her children and how they are growing up in the projects. She says there are no children here, because they have seen and experienced too much to be children anymore.

Setting: Henry Horner Homes and its surrounding neighborhoods, Chicago, Illinois, from the summer of 1987 through September 29, 1989

Protagonist: Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers

Antagonists: The antagonists are many: the social system that creates impoverishment for minorities; the corruption and mismanagement of the Chicago Housing Authority; the gangs and their warfare; and the drugs they sell. The two boys face........

The complete study guide is currently available as a downloadable PDF, RTF, or MS Word DOC file from the PinkMonkey MonkeyNotes download store. The complete study guide contains summaries and notes for all of the chapters; detailed analysis of the themes, plot structure, and characters; important quotations and analysis; detailed analysis of symbolism, motifs, and imagery; a key facts summary; detailed analysis of the use of foreshadowing and irony; a multiple-choice quiz, and suggested book report ideas and essay topics.