56 pages • 1 hour read
Paulette JilesNews of the World
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2016A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Newspapers
Newspapers are the physical manifestations of knowledge and the power of the written word, and the means of accessing the outside world, broadening the mind and one's familiarity with and understanding of distant places and other peoples and cultures. They also symbolize the Captain’s desire for peace among the people of Texas. The Captain believes that if people understand more of the world, they are less likely to come to violent action.
The Curative Waters Wagon
The wagon is not only the Captain's and Johanna's means of transportation, but also symbol for the healing process of the two characters. The entire journey is a journey of healing, for both the Captain and Johanna. Johanna states at the end of the novel that she is the Captain’s “curative waters.” Early in the novel, it’s said that the Captain’s “life seemed to him thin and sour, a bit spoiled” (3), yet the longer he spends with Johanna, the better his life becomes, despite the hardships involved with transporting her across the state.
Johanna’s Jorongo
A jorongo is a Mexican-Spanish word for a poncho/serape. The jorongo becomes Johanna's security blanket, the space between the cloth, a place of refuge in times of trouble, or when she feels insecure, which happens almost always when strangers approach the wagon. It is interesting to note the choice of word. Jorongo is a specific word for an article of clothing, and the adopted word in English is poncho, but Johanna doesn't seek comfort from an English word, but rather from a non-English foreign word. The fact that an article of Mexican clothing has become adopted garb for white people, and the fact that Johanna herself was taken from European-American culture and thrust into Native American culture, before re-entering Anglo-American culture, illustrates the intersectionality of cultures in Texas.
The Broken Wagon Wheel
The wagon wheel on the Captain’s wagon breaks very early, and though the Captain wants to get it repaired, he never does until he reaches the end of the journey. The wheel, then, becomes a metaphor for Johanna herself. She is broken, too, and needing repairing (healing), and it takes the entire journey for her to achieve this process.
Weather
The weather is used to reflect Johanna’s and the Captain’s moods, emotions, and relationship. In the beginning, it rains a lot. The two main characters’ feelings are often those of sadness and storminess, but the longer they travel together, the warmer the days, and less rain falls.
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By Paulette Jiles
