I Am Doug Spaulding: Accessibility and Symbolism in "Dandelion Wine" Margaret Grace Roper College

Ray Bradbury may have chosen Doug to be the twelve-year-old protagonist in Dandelion Wine, but I remain convinced that Bradbury took a pencil and paper to my childhood. Part of the reason why Doug’s character resonates with me so much stems from Bradbury’s use of symbolic language. Because symbolism leaves the audience to interpret the text’s meaning, every reader draws a different interpretation of the text based on his or her own personal experiences. By picturing the experience associated with Bradbury’s imagery, the reader gains a deeper understanding of the story. Bradbury effectively utilizes symbolism in Dandelion Wine to aid the audience in perceiving the text’s significance and to impart the messages that form the novel’s overall theme.

Bradbury reveals Doug’s youthful nature in the form of animals, allowing the reader to visually imagine Doug’s mental and physical characteristics. After Doug becomes aware of his existence, Bradbury writes, “Douglas, eyes shut, saw spotted leopards pad in the dark” (10). When Doug opens his eyes, Bradbury states, “The leopards trotted soundlessly off through darker lands where eyeballs could not turn to follow” (10). From a twelve-year-old’s perspective, leopards seem like the fastest...