The symbol of wounds
The author has used 'wounds' to refer to sufferings one undergoes in life. When a wound is opened, one feels more pain than before. Similarly, the author implies that it is good to leave someone alone rather than cause more injury to the problems he is currently undergoing. He writes:
“Most of the Indians had loved them for the history they had captured but some found old wounds opened, or familiar feuds rekindled.”
The allegory of Animals
The author is using the allegory of animals to refer to the white man’s perception of the Indian man. It is inhumane to consider fellow human beings as animals. For instance, the whites want the Indians to be kept in animal zoos because they are less of human beings. The author notes that the old man is so annoyed to the extent that he dislikes the behavior of the white man. He says:
“White people have always tried to make us into animals. They want us to be like animals in the zoo.”
The Motif of the Mountain
The mountain is used symbolically to mean that no human being should not forgive. For instance, the old man says that if a mountain can forgive the scarring mining, who he not to forgive is. Even the creator of all things can forgive and this means that each person must be forgiven at some point. He says:
“If the mountains can forgive the scarring and the mining, and can cover her gashes with fresh grasses of summer, should I not, too, be able to cover the gashes with the fresh grasses of kindness and understanding?”
The symbol of the Forest
The forest is full of all types of trees but more often destroyed by human beings. However, the forest does not get annoyed with man but instead, rises once again even beautiful than before. The author uses the forest to imply that there is no need to be angry with fellow human beings who are offensive. It also portrays that there is hope in life even after bad things happen to people. Instead, the one offended is supposed to forgive and give God a chance to make him shiny once more so that the offenders can be ashamed of their wrong deeds. He says:
“If the forest can survive the murder of all her children, and rise again ones more in beauty, should I not, too, be able to survive the murder of my people and once again raise my hear towards the sun?”
The symbol of grasses and flowers
The flowers and grasses are symbolically used to show the white man's humiliation towards Indians. The white man is proud enough to tell an Indian there is nothing he can do to improve his life. According to the white man, the only thing an Indian can do is hope to change that will come in the future not currently. In other words, the white man makes sure that an Indian is always inferior. He says:
“They tell me to be patient. They tell me I cannot change what it is, I can only hope to change what will come. Let the grasses grow over our scars, they say, and let the flowers bloom over our wounds.”
