THE WEATHER ELEMENTS IN LITERATURE: SPECIAL ANALYSIS - by Golden Lady

1. RAIN: Rain is one very valuable tool of authors as it is very often used for many reasons. Especially it is used when: A) the author wants to depict the maltreated or depressed soul of the hero/heroine, B) the author desires to signify that something ominous and bad is about to happen, C) the author uses the falling water as a means of salvation and purification. The water here comes to clean everything and gives the impression of something being fresh, usually that is the heart and mind of the hero/heroine.

2. STORM: Storm has a much more destructive character. It used: A) as a natural punishment of the hero or signifies his real upcoming punishment. B) Its force destroys everything and this signifies that either something will start anew from the very beginning or that something is totally and absolutely extinguished with no chance to come back.

3. WIND: The wind has many different meanings: A) sometimes, it has the shape of a cool breeze that “caresses” the hero/heroine and gives him/her hope and courage. B)other times, it comes a strong wind that his the face of the main character and makes him return to reality and take his final decisions with strength and open mind. C) In many cases, it comes as vengeance for the antiheroes as is destroys and unroots everything in its passage. D) In many other times, its role is to indicate the curious, odd and eerie things that occur, and E) it comes as the “wind of change”, it brings an air of change and helps the hero/heroine to move on with his life.

4. CLOUDS: it depends on their various shapes whether their appearance signifies good or evil. A) When they are white, small and stand against the bright, blue sky, they may mean either love or the awakening of the imagination. B) When they are grey and ready to produce rain, their role is to signify the bad luck that pursues the hero or the ill fate that is waiting him. C) When they are dark, very dark and produce violent rain or totally hind the sun, they are bad omens and mean that something really cruel and bad will happen, most of the times something deathly. D) Sometimes, when they become dark without warning they signify an upcoming change that something supernatural and queer approaches.

5. THE RAINBOW: it usually appears after rain and signifies that: A) hope is not lost, B) imagination and happiness reign once more, C) childhood and innocence are on the way to show up again and D) a pot of gold waits to the other side of the rainbow, that is, pursue our dreams endlessly!

6. MIST: Mist is the perfect surrounding for the appearance of something scary and creepy, it creates the perfect and most ideal scenery for the appearance of ghosts, vampires, spirits, poltergeists, monsters, etc… Mist never has a good significance as it comes to hide something from the real, normal world or hide the world from the eyes of those who desperately seek it for salvation. The only case where it is used only as a way of protection is the mist that surrounds Avalon, as the ultimate way to keep it safe and well-protected of the greedy eyes of men.

7. SNOW: Snow is the perfect cover. It covers everything under its white veil and keeps everything beyond the reach of the eye. It usually has a neutral role, though many times it seals things either as a protector or as an eternal guard. In Narnia, snow means that winter has come and the bad witch is still on the throne. Generally, snow signifies that winter is not over yet and that sorrow, cold and death are the main rulers. Some other times, it brings happiness and joy as it is combined with the creation of the snow-man and the snow-war children make.

8. HAIL: Hail is seldom used but when it appears, it means only one thing: destruction. Its force and violence come and destroy everything as it passes by.