25 pages • 50 minutes read
Stephen KingThe Man Who Loved Flowers
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1977A 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
Flowers
Often used as a symbol in literature, the motif of flowers serves multiple purposes in the text. Flowers represent The Joy of Young Love, as evidenced by the bouquet the young man buys for Norma. Flowers are also representative of spring, when new life abounds, which is essentially what the young man is searching for. His desperate desire to revive the life of his love is echoed in the flower vendor’s advice to add sugar to the vase’s water to “preserve them longer” (Paragraph 32).
As the narrative progresses, the flowers mentioned at the beginning of the text become a symbol of mortality and mourning. While the young man’s purchase of tea roses symbolizes his love for Norma, they become a funeral spray, spilling out around the corpse of the young woman. The flowers are the final calling card of a brutal serial killer who is mourning his loss alone. Of all the flowers in the fallen spray, the lilies are the most symbolic. Often utilized at funerals, they represent the innocence of the soul as it finds its resting place in Heaven.
Spring
Seasons can represent different seasons of life, and springtime in “The Man Who Loved Flowers” is just as symbolic. Associated with youth and new beginnings, spring underlines The Joy of Young Love. Spring is a time of promise, when flowers bloom and young love abounds. The story illustrates the gently uplifting effect of the season as the characters enjoy the fresh air and soft light. Even the onset of evening is beautiful, as the radio weather forecast predicts. To those in the “fall” and “winter” of their lives, such as the old woman and the flower vendor, as well as the middle-age onlookers, spring is a time of fond remembrance. By emphasizing the welcome arrival of spring, with its pleasant associations in the story, King lulls readers into a false sense of security. The season’s charms make the concluding brutal description of murder all the more shocking.
Radio
The radio is a symbol that establishes the time period and signals the overall mood of the story. A source of entertainment, the radio also broadcasts the truth of the world, connecting people across the globe to news, politics, and sports. This connection to the outside world, both the good and the bad, helps establish the tone of King’s short story. The radio on the flower vendor’s cart announces a litany of bad news, suggesting a nation in turmoil. However, to the characters, this is just background noise, as the beauty of spring overtakes the negative proclamations on the radio. The radio represents truth, warning citizens of dangers they do not want to see, such as the serial killer in their midst.
The Idea of “Half”
A recurring motif in the text is the idea of “half,” which indicates that something is missing from a whole. This concept underlines The Brutality of Love Lost. When the protagonist lost Norma, he lost half of himself. The story shows him desperately seeking wholeness by searching in vain for his love. Significantly, on his journey to meet Norma, there is a “half-smile” on his lips; and when he raises his hand to wave at those he encounters, it is with a “half-salute.” This signifies how the young man is unable to commit to anything fully, or to feel happy without Norma in his life. The only time he smiles completely is when he sees who he hopes is Norma in the darkness of the lane. He feels whole, believing he is reuniting with his lost love. However, the full smile only lasts until she rejects him. After murdering the woman, he is again half of a whole, and his “half-smile” returns as he begins his search anew. He continues trying to fill a void he cannot satisfy.
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