Rachael symbolizes all liberal minded women of her time
Rachael, who was the mother of Alexander Hamilton, represents all the women who dared break social customs in the eighteenth century. It was such a time when white women were only required to play cards, drink tea and sew a little. However, she was the only female shopkeeper in Nevis. Her character was one that was highly questioned in society for she symbolized change in the social customs that bound women to helplessness and dependency. Rachael became a representation of change in the way of life to the people of Nevis who avoided her for she was an outlier.
America was a symbol of quick wealth to the aristocrats in Europe
Many of those who held noble titles in Europe in the eighteenth century had a fairy tale view of America. They viewed it as a country where they would make quick money and return to Europe very wealthy. Therefore, most noblemen aspired to go to America for it represented wealth and immense opportunity for them. An example is James Hamilton whose life had proved unsuccessful in Scotland where he was of a noble family. He therefore set sail to America to try his luck there for he was convinced that he would return very rich as others who had ventured there.
The motif of loss of life
The book is characterized by the death of a lot of people as the life of Alexander Hamilton is narrated. These deaths include that of his mother Rachael who succumbed to a strange illness, of his uncle who committed suicide, his grandparents and friends. He therefore experienced a lot of loss at a very young age. This made him head strong and very independent for most of his caretakers died after he met them. The motif creates an understanding of life as continuous even as people die for others rise up and build something of themselves.
The West Indies symbolized a tragic life for Alexander Hamilton
The West Indies was where Alexander Hamilton was born and raised. However, the place held a bitter memory for him for he had experienced a lot of tragedy therein. Alexander’s intelligence won him a place at King’s College and as he set sail to New York, he made a conscious decision to never return to the West Indies again. The narrator says that on the voyage to New York, Alexander kept his boyhood locked in a door that he would never open again. The West Indies was a place whereby his mother had died, his father had deserted him, his grandparents had died and he had been victimized for he was an illegitimate child. As a result, he detested the place and never returned.
The hurricane that befell St. Croix is an allegory of the change in Alexander Hamilton’s life
The hurricane that occurred in St. Croix was very destructive and destroyed almost everything in its sight. In the aftermath of the destruction, new beginnings started in the town. This is allegorical to the change in Alexander Hamilton’s life because after his one show of intelligence when he wrote a letter in the town’s newspaper, he impressed people such that they fund raised to send him to college. His old life where he was often discriminated because he was an illegitimate child crumbled and in its wake, his new life of academic freedom and one where he was judged according to his own achievements emerged.
