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4 Jonathan Whidden English 1900B Ian McAdam September twenty ninth, 2012 Meaning in Janus “The dish was simply a bowl”. (Beattie 455) In the short tale “Janus” copy writer Anne Beattie uses a simple bowl as the central concentrate of the symbolism in the story. The bowl can be interpreted to mean or perhaps symbolize various things.

The bowl is one of the protagonist of the story Andrea, a successful agent who is committed to her spouse of many years. It has been argued that the pan symbolizes many techniques from the life that Andrea lives or the world that Hazel lives in.

Nevertheless there are strong arguments for the arguments among many others, I believe the strongest proof of what the bowl symbolizes can be described as personality or perhaps traits of a character that repeats itself throughout the history. This persona is not coincidentally the title of the short story “Janus”. In the following essay I will argue that the bowl represents an ancient our god by the name of “Janus” and all of his traits forces or attributes. Beattie uses the bowl to symbolize each of the traits from the ancient god thru lifespan of our leading part Andrea.

To begin we must look at who this kind of god was believed to be therefore we can associate it for the story. “Janus is the Roman god of gates and doors, beginnings and endings, and hence represented with a double-faced head, every single looking in opposite guidelines. He was worshipped at the beginning of the harvest time, planting, marital life, birth, and also other types of beginnings, especially the beginnings of important incidents in a person’s life. Janus also symbolizes the move between old fashioned life and civilization, involving the countryside as well as the city, peace and war, and the growing-up of teenagers. “(Janus) four

As mentioned above, it can be no chance that Beattie chose this title. Both the faces Janus the goodness has is a symbolism by itself, it represents deceit?nternet site interpret two-facedness as being deceitful or as Beattie creates “tricked”. We all will learn that Andrea their self, proves to get deceitful and deceived, she actually is tricked herself. Andrea also is also caught up between two different life’s as we arrive to learn. She actually is stuck during new start and being in her relationships. Donna seems not sure or does not have he courage to decide which usually path she’d like to have. Andrea’s existence had various doorways the lady could garottere opened, unfortunately for Hazel, she stays on on the doorstep. There are two important factors of Andrea’s existence that the bowl plays a serious part in, her social life and her professional life. Let’s begin with Andrea’s social existence. Andrea is married to her husband of several years. Though Andrea and her husband have been together for a few years, they may have no children together. Andrea and her husband both have their own effective careers while Andrea is indeed a estate agent and her husband a stock broker. For all the financial success they enjoy, their particular marriage was far from perfect.

Both Hazel and her husband really are a lot likewise yet faraway from each other. “They had been both quiet people- refractive, slow to create value decision. ” (Beattie 455) Their very own relationship is where the meaning of dish comes into play, the bowl was obviously a gift from a former mate of Andrea’s. The bowl was actually a great gift from an ex lover. “She had 1st seen the bowl a long period earlier, by a designs fair the lady had frequented half in secret, with her lover. ” (Beattie 456) Andrea hid the origins from the bowl from her partner which is evidence of her two-facedness, “There were times in which she planned to talk to her usband about the pan. ” (Beattie 455)

The simple fact that Donna has kept the roots of dish rom her husband can be an example of her deception. In addition, it shows an unwillingness to leave go from the past. If Andrea desired to rid himself of the memories of this past relationship, could she not really rid himself of all items or thoughts from the romance? Instead the lady grows a harmful attachment to the bowl as time passes, valuing it out her romance with her husband. Marketing communications issues are simply the start of the 4 problem with Andrea. Hazel is not really without remorse, she truly does show an urge to talk to her partner about he bowl, even so her dread and the outcomes that could are derived from it were stronger. Gates would be closed and opened, perhaps she would have to release the dish, something she seems not willing to do. Her relationship ended with her lover because of her indecision, her unwillingness to start something new and close the door on her behalf marriage. ” Her enthusiast said that she was often too slow also know what your woman really loved.

Why continue with her life how it was? For what reason be two-faced, he asked her. He previously made the first approach toward her. When she would not determine in his favor, would not hange her existence and arrive to him, he asked her those that have made her believe she could have it both equally ways. ” (Bettie 456) Beattie provides us strong evidence of the symbolism of the bowl. Andrea’s career is a other important aspect of her life where bowl considerably influences her decisions and contains more strong evidence of it is symbolism. As mentioned, Andrea is a successful agent. “(She a new very rewarding year providing real estate.

Term spread, and she got more customers than the lady felt confident with. ” (Beattie 455) Donna used the bowl along with other “tricks” to assist her in her career, or so the girl thought. Once she thought that some potential buyers could be dog fans, she would fall off her doggie at the same time she would place the bowl in the house that was for sale. ” It might be argued that there is nothing morally wrong with these “tricks” that Andrea used to promote houses, I would agree. The real deceptiveness comes from the bowl on its own. Andrea allows the pan to take credit for operate she has completed, allowing the bowl to deceive her.

“She was sure that the bowl brought her luck”. (Beattie 455 Bids were often placed in on properties where she had shown the pan. There is no proof at all to suggest that the bowl impacts the sale of the home. There is no problem that consumers like the seem of the pan, some even asking on the place that the bowl originated in. “Once Andrea got a call from a woman who not place in an offer on a house she had shown her. That bowl, she said- will it possibly be feasible to find out where the owners experienced bought that 4 fabulous bowl. Andrea pretended that she would not know what the girl was mentioning. ” (Beattie 454)

This can be more proof of Andrea’s two-facedness or deceit, ill will certainly intended or perhaps not, Donna is certainly not ompletely honest with her clients. Unfortunately for Hazel, she enables the bowl to fool her, persuasive her that it must be the reason the girl closes a lot of houses. How do a pan do this, “The bowl was just a pan. ” (Beattie 455) I actually do believe Beattie shifts the meaning of the pan throughout the tale. At times the bowl symbolizes Andrea’s life, how material things are the only things she values, it shows a dependency upon material items because of her passionless matrimony. Other times the bowl represents her failure to make a decision or to release her previous relationship.

This symbolizes her fear of deciding on a path, choosing a door, concluding relationships and starting new. Andrea instead allows the bowl to dictate her decisions. As stated above, arguments can and have be made for many diverse meanings. the bowl always returns to its beginnings. It originate from a hidden romantic relationship, it is used to “trick” home buyers. The bowl is a representation of a past romantic relationship, one the girl had an possibility to start a fresh life with, yet the lady didn’t. She’s stuck in the midst of two doorways, two routes. There is no beginning or end for Hazel because she evidently lacks the valor or.

The bowl represents the two-faced nature of Andrea, her trickery her two human relationships. It deceives Andrea in convincing her that it is the reason for her achievement. “The dish was only a bowl”. (Beattie 455) Each one of these examples directly symbolize the traits or attributes of the ancient the almighty “Janus” Works Cited 1 ) Beattie, Ann. “Janus. ” The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Allison Booth, Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 453-456. 2 . “Janus. ” Encyclopedia Mythica. 2012. Encyclopedia Mythica Online. 01 Oct. 2012, www. pantheon. org/articles/j/janus. html code,.