World Literature

br World Literature World Literature The theme of betrayal is central to Katherine Anne Porter 's famous story "Flowering Judas " The story , set against the Obregon Revolution in 1920 's Mexico probes the implications of both revolutionary idealism and inter-personal loyalty . By devising a complex symbolic structure for the story , Porter enables her thematic ideas to grow throughout range of possibilities and associations . By examining some of the key symbols of the story , such as the central symbol of the Flowering Judas tree itself , a perceptive reader begins to understand that Porter

's themes of revolution and interpersonal betrayal are not only connected to one another , but that the more overt conclusions drawn by the reader regarding these themes encompass , not the end-interpretation of the story 's themes as a whole , but merely a departure point for discovery The deeper themes of the story emerge form the often ironic symbolic associations present throughout the story many of which are not evident to even an alert reader during the first or even second reading of the tale

The story 's central characters , Laura , the ostensibly idealistic American who is a sympathizer and erstwhile supporter of the Revolution in Mexico , and Braggioni , a seemingly loathsome , vain , loud and lecherous revolutionary leader who attempts (crudely ) to serenade and seduce the nun-like Laura . At first glance the relationship between these characters seems to be one of blatant contrast between a moral character , Laura , and an immoral character , Braggioni . Since the reader is informed that Braggioni is already married , his attempted seduction of Laura seems to frame him as both un-ethical and weak-willed . The reader may think upon first reaction that the obvious intention of the author is to stress Laura 's virginal qualities by contrast with Braggioni , and in so doing authentic her as a powerful adn important voice of purity in the Obregon Revolution

The words used by Porter to describe the erotic tension between Braggioni and Laura seems to leave no doubt as to what impression of each character the reader should have

Braggioni catches her glance solidly as if he had been waiting for it leans forward , balancing his paunch between his spread knees , and sings with tremendous emphasis , weighing his words [ .] His mouth opens round and yearns sideways , his balloon cheeks grow oily with the labor of song . He bulges marvelously in his expensive garments (Porter ,148 It is only after a longer period of reflection upon this passage and others like it , that the reader begins to see that Porter is , in fact toying with the reader 's expectations and prejudices , and by subtle insinuation -- Porter inserts an ironic meaning under the overt meaning of the scene , and this irony is conveyed through the use of symbols . In the above passage , the guitar and the repeated emphasis and swollen-imagery -- pregnant imagery if you lime -- coveys a sub-text that Braggioni embodies an almost androgenous symbolic position in contrasts with Laura 's rigid , nun-like A-sexuality . The sub-text...