Posted by Maurice Zamaripa on June 06, 1999 at 12:14:09:
Orth, in her story, “Handling Charges”, cleaverly uses this carousel as almost a representation of life. she describes one of the carriages as one that might carry a newborn infant carried by his or her mother. still, the black Arabian horse is symbolic of the end of life rather than the beginning of life. Despite the fact that Jeff had undergone painful radiation and chemotherapy, Tova, the mother, ultimately is forced to surrender her son to the grim reaper. As the mother sits on the bench waiting for the ride to be over, she is actually watching Jeff's life fly by, carried by death.