Ace of Diamonds Essay
In the short story ‘The Ace of Diamonds Gang’ by Owen Marshall, symbolism is used to get across Introduction
the main ideas of the story. The two main symbols used in this story are the Ace of Diamonds to signify anonymity and confederacy, and the library card which symbolizes a mundane reality.
In the story the Ace of Diamonds is something that the author and his friends use to show their gang. A bit like a gang patch or gang colours. They wear hankies with red diamonds painted on them when they do their pranks, and leave an Ace of Diamonds card at each of their ‘crime scenes’. To the members of The Ace of Diamonds Gang the Ace of Diamonds represents more than just a gang. It represents a brotherhood, a confederacy, ‘a clear exception to approved society’. These boys see themselves as outlaws a bit like Robin Hood or Ned Kelly. This is apparent with the author in particular. He saw the gang as an escape from being ‘thirteen years old in a provincial town’ which shows that he saw his ordinary life as boring and uneventful. The gang gave him the opportunity to ‘conjure heroism’. This shows that the author and his friends saw their actions as heroic and noble. This is shown when he compares the gang to the heroes of history ‘like the heroes of history it arose when it needed to be there’. Another way the author try’s to show the reader that the gang is special is by using military language and imagery. He uses military language such as ‘redezvous’, ‘frission’, and ‘formation’. The author uses this language because he wants The Ace of Diamonds Gang to seem efficient, lethal, and organised like the military. The military are also often seen as heroes who have been extremely brave in dangerous situations. Like soldiers camouflaged in a forest or jungle the author sees The Ace of Diamonds gang as very anonymous and hard to find. However instead of putting on a uniform they are putting on diamond stamped masks. They compare themselves to such heroes as the ‘Fish Christians’ ‘Black Hand Jacobites, the Scarlet Pipernel’. This restates the ideals of confederacy, anonymity, courage, elusiveness, and uniqueness of The Ace of Diamonds Gang that the author holds. A good quote that sums up his feelings about the gang is ‘The Ace of Diamonds Gang seems my full boyhood’.
The second symbol used in this text is the author’s library card. The library card is found by Jorgerson after The Ace of Diamonds Gang has finished pranking his junkyard. It causes the downfall of the gang. The library card, in contrast to the Ace of Diamonds represents reality, society, and consequence. The Ace of Diamonds represented the massive fantasy that the members of the Ace of Diamonds Gang entertained. The library card is the thing that brings them back down to Earth, and reality. The library card also symbolizes the gang’s deficiencies. For example ‘Ashley’s wind, Bernie’s glasses, and Hec Green having to be in by nine o’clock’. Another way fantasy is being contrasted with reality is that they are not super human, or heroes of history, but normal library card carrying citizens. They are just a group of mysterious young teens with ordinary and even mundane lives. They are not need as the heroes of history were, and the public would probably benefit without them. They are not heroic and brave but annoying and cowardly. And unlike all heroes of history they have done nothing to directly help anyone but themselves. By exposing the library card to the public the author has made himself look like a normal law abiding citizen, who is defiantly actively involved in ‘approved society’. Also by showing that the author has a library card it is suggesting that this person is an avid reader or a very studious, and could quite possibly be a bit of a nerd. This is taking even more away from his deluded image of himself being a heroic outlaw or hardcore gangster. When he is caught it is the end of The Ace of Diamonds Gang and boyhood as he knows it ‘and of boyhood perhaps’. Yet another part near the end of this story which takes away his sense of bravery and toughness even more, is the fact that he tells on all his friends without hesitation ‘I had unhesitatingly betrayed’, a true hero would stand up for what he believed in, and not given up so easily. The main thing that the author’s library card does is take away his anonymity it leaves him feeling exposed embarrassed and disgusted in himself. It also brings to an end the little fantasy world that the author and his friends have created for themselves using the Ace of Diamonds. ‘it was the end of free imagination and of boyhood perhaps’.
In conclusion in the short story The Ace of Diamonds Gang symbolism is used to the author’s ideas about the gang during his early adolescent life. The Ace of Diamonds is used in the first part of the story to represent courage, heroism, and the free spirit of young boys. However as we progress through the story we find that the fantasy world the boys have created doesn’t quite match the reality. The library card is used to show reality and also strip away the anonymity of the author and his friends. In the end the author and his friends have to give up their beloved gang. The end of this fantasy means that they finally have to grow up and it signifies the end of ‘free imagination’ and boyhood as they know it.
In the short story ‘The Ace of Diamonds Gang’ by Owen Marshall, symbolism is used to get across Introduction
the main ideas of the story. The two main symbols used in this story are the Ace of Diamonds to signify anonymity and confederacy, and the library card which symbolizes a mundane reality.
In the story the Ace of Diamonds is something that the author and his friends use to show their gang. A bit like a gang patch or gang colours. They wear hankies with red diamonds painted on them when they do their pranks, and leave an Ace of Diamonds card at each of their ‘crime scenes’. To the members of The Ace of Diamonds Gang the Ace of Diamonds represents more than just a gang. It represents a brotherhood, a confederacy, ‘a clear exception to approved society’. These boys see themselves as outlaws a bit like Robin Hood or Ned Kelly. This is apparent with the author in particular. He saw the gang as an escape from being ‘thirteen years old in a provincial town’ which shows that he saw his ordinary life as boring and uneventful. The gang gave him the opportunity to ‘conjure heroism’. This shows that the author and his friends saw their actions as heroic and noble. This is shown when he compares the gang to the heroes of history ‘like the heroes of history it arose when it needed to be there’. Another way the author try’s to show the reader that the gang is special is by using military language and imagery. He uses military language such as ‘redezvous’, ‘frission’, and ‘formation’. The author uses this language because he wants The Ace of Diamonds Gang to seem efficient, lethal, and organised like the military. The military are also often seen as heroes who have been extremely brave in dangerous situations. Like soldiers camouflaged in a forest or jungle the author sees The Ace of Diamonds gang as very anonymous and hard to find. However instead of putting on a uniform they are putting on diamond stamped masks. They compare themselves to such heroes as the ‘Fish Christians’ ‘Black Hand Jacobites, the Scarlet Pipernel’. This restates the ideals of confederacy, anonymity, courage, elusiveness, and uniqueness of The Ace of Diamonds Gang that the author holds. A good quote that sums up his feelings about the gang is ‘The Ace of Diamonds Gang seems my full boyhood’.
The second symbol used in this text is the author’s library card. The library card is found by Jorgerson after The Ace of Diamonds Gang has finished pranking his junkyard. It causes the downfall of the gang. The library card, in contrast to the Ace of Diamonds represents reality, society, and consequence. The Ace of Diamonds represented the massive fantasy that the members of the Ace of Diamonds Gang entertained. The library card is the thing that brings them back down to Earth, and reality. The library card also symbolizes the gang’s deficiencies. For example ‘Ashley’s wind, Bernie’s glasses, and Hec Green having to be in by nine o’clock’. Another way fantasy is being contrasted with reality is that they are not super human, or heroes of history, but normal library card carrying citizens. They are just a group of mysterious young teens with ordinary and even mundane lives. They are not need as the heroes of history were, and the public would probably benefit without them. They are not heroic and brave but annoying and cowardly. And unlike all heroes of history they have done nothing to directly help anyone but themselves. By exposing the library card to the public the author has made himself look like a normal law abiding citizen, who is defiantly actively involved in ‘approved society’. Also by showing that the author has a library card it is suggesting that this person is an avid reader or a very studious, and could quite possibly be a bit of a nerd. This is taking even more away from his deluded image of himself being a heroic outlaw or hardcore gangster. When he is caught it is the end of The Ace of Diamonds Gang and boyhood as he knows it ‘and of boyhood perhaps’. Yet another part near the end of this story which takes away his sense of bravery and toughness even more, is the fact that he tells on all his friends without hesitation ‘I had unhesitatingly betrayed’, a true hero would stand up for what he believed in, and not given up so easily. The main thing that the author’s library card does is take away his anonymity it leaves him feeling exposed embarrassed and disgusted in himself. It also brings to an end the little fantasy world that the author and his friends have created for themselves using the Ace of Diamonds. ‘it was the end of free imagination and of boyhood perhaps’.
In conclusion in the short story The Ace of Diamonds Gang symbolism is used to the author’s ideas about the gang during his early adolescent life. The Ace of Diamonds is used in the first part of the story to represent courage, heroism, and the free spirit of young boys. However as we progress through the story we find that the fantasy world the boys have created doesn’t quite match the reality. The library card is used to show reality and also strip away the anonymity of the author and his friends. In the end the author and his friends have to give up their beloved gang. The end of this fantasy means that they finally have to grow up and it signifies the end of ‘free imagination’ and boyhood as they know it.
