The Red Candle

The imagery of gold opens and closes the story of Lindo Jong. In the beginning Lindo compares her daughter’s inability to keep a promise to that of “only fourteen carats,” while at the end she explains that “Every few years, when I have a little extra money, I buy another bracelet… They're always twenty-four carats, all genuine.” Gold, specifically bracelets, are discussed at various points throughout this story. What do these bracelets and gold itself symbolize? When does Lindo take off the bracelets? Why is this significant?