Beyond the realms of imagination lies a dark-spotted door, glimmering with light between the hinges. Tree-Ear, a young boy in the book A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, leads something of a representative life of a poor individual in 12th-century Korea. Tree-Ear breaks social barriers and peers into the light – an act deemed impossible by an ordinary Korean citizen. He learns that there has always been darkness on his path to the light. Throughout his story, Park relies on symbolism to describe the true meaning of Yin and Yang, to fully capture its tenacious, unique, spiritual and enlightened character. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The author describes Tree-ear's spiritual and tenacious character using the Yin and Yang symbol. Tree-Ear sees the world in black and white, for as the rain crumbles like shards of broken glass, he remembers spring: a temple of flowers, blessings, and new beginnings. The tree spike particularly likes Min's prunus vase, because of the "sharp angles of the plum branches" (52). Let me start with an introduction to the predominant value of “plum twigs” in Korea. “Plum twigs” are seen as gateways to spring and are a constant reminder of the beauty of spring. These plants grow in arid landscapes and are able to withstand the harsh winters. The use of plum twigs in this quote correlates with the meaning of the Yin and Yang symbol. This shows us how two contradictory forces play together to achieve something beautifully “symmetrical” (52). This directly correlates to the fact that Yin and Yang are a combination of a perfectly “symmetrical” circle. Regardless, just like plum twigs, Tree-Ear is able to withstand any obstacles that bring it down. Even after years in the darkness of the bridge, he still has hope that one day he will be able to touch the light. This is a clear example of Tree-Ear's tenacious and witty character. Another illustration of the Yin and Yang symbol is presented in the quote; “Tree-ear grew in wrinkled semi-circles on dead or fallen tree trunks, emerging from rotten wood, without parental seed” (7). The fact that Tree-Ear grew up in a very desolate and dark environment means that the negative and positive forces within him are not balanced. The quote “dead…fallen tree trunks” symbolizes how a part of him is damaged. However, in scientific terms, there is a lot of circulation and energy inside tree trunks. So the fact that the tree trunks no longer functioned meant that there was no hope for Tree-Ear to renew/restore its place in society. Additionally, as the Yin and Yang symbol is a complete circle, the fact that the Tree Ear grew in "semi-circles" further highlights how the negative and positive forces within it are not balanced. However, all that changes when he decides to step out of his comfort zone. The fact that the “plum trees have blossomed; the petals fell like snow, leaving behind the green buds that hid shyly among the leaves” (47) signifies how Tree-Ear enters the phase of spiritual awakening. In this quote, the description of “green buds” brightly illuminates the image of a mushroom. Just like "green buds", tree spikes are also considered mushrooms. The fact that the "green buds" are no longer hidden by the leaves symbolizes the fact that Tree-ear is no longerhidden by darkness. He blossoms and becomes a more courageous person who does not act "timid" and is not afraid of the unknown. This is an example of how the negative and positive forces within him ultimately consolidate with each other. Therefore, we see how his balance between Yin and Yang (positive and negative forces) made him a more spiritual and tenacious person. In conclusion, Tree-Ear uses his glasses of imagination to move towards the darkness with a great hold on the light before us. He goes through the isolation, he goes through the painful days, he goes through all the sorrow, and he finally reaches the light, where he is no longer broken. The symbolism of Yin and Yang was used to create an image of two semi-circles, slowly consolidating towards each other, shaping Tree-Ear into a more spiritual and tenacious person. The author also describes the uniqueness of Tree-Ear through the use of the Yin and Yang symbol. The roots of Eartree were once bound to the ground, excluded from the sustenance of the sunless realm. After enduring many dark and rainy days, Tree-Ear broke away from the roots upon which society was built and soaked in the sunlight he thought would never reach him. In Korean culture, your roots determine your position in society. Unfortunately, Tree-Ear "grew without the benefit of a parental seed (7)", making him an outsider to class society. A “seed” holds many secrets. It is the ultimate beginning and end of all things: the dawn and death of life. The entire earth depends on this tiny substance, a rounded object that is of great importance to human existence. Tree-Ear did not receive all the essential conditions to grow and mature normally because it did not have a "seed" to begin with. He learned to grow through his experiences, rather than relying on a parental guide. But you see, that's where its true potential comes from. Tree-Ear could take on his inner and outer adversaries, all in the name of passion. When the fiery glow of sunlight faded, when the stars meandered through eternal space, and when the earth seemed pathless and cold, Tree-Ear was born. The Yin symbol had a lot of control over Tree-Ear's early years - having no "parental seed" or stability, allowed him to generate a hardwired instinct for success. Here, the Yin symbol allows Tree-Ear to become a unique individual, which induces enormous passion and perseverance. Unlike all the other children, Tree-Ear had to work hard to create the family he always dreamed of. Tree-Ear made his dream come true when he “dropped” (16) Min's pottery work. The Yin symbol played an important role in Tree-Ear's investigation. If he hadn't given up pottery work, he would never have worked for Min in the first place. Min can be seen as the antagonist of Tree-Ear's journey, because while he is Tree-Ear's only hope of learning the art of pottery, he is also the person who prohibits her from achieving her goals . The name Min is also closely associated with the word Yin (negative force). However, after long and grueling days of work, he finally managed to win the heart of Min, who made Tree-Ear a member of his family. Here, the Yang symbol works significantly to illuminate Tree-Ear's life. If Tree-Ear had been born with the "advantage of a parental seed", he would have been a completely different person, sharing the same interests and conservative ideologies as the others. Being an upper-class citizen in Korea means having a family and easy access to everything. However, for a lower class citizen, it was almostimpossible to elevate one's position in society. After so much suffering and hardship, Tree-Ear managed to achieve the impossible: an act that only a truly unique person can accomplish. The darkness (Yin) shaped Tree-Ear into a unique individual, allowing him to move toward the light (Yang). While the rest of society sees the world in black and white, Tree-Ear considers all the shades of a rainbow. He notices the darkness of the sky more vividly, the liveliness of the grass more intensely, and the beauty of the sunlight more accurately than anyone else. Finally, the author captures Tree-Ear's enlightened character through the use of the Yin and Yang symbol. Tree-Ear was once a seed located beneath the dark depths of the ground. Following a long and terrible rain, he turned into a tree, a tree that stretched towards the sky and towards the light of the sun. This stage, in particular, depicts Tree-Ear's growth as he has accumulated a lot of wisdom and knowledge throughout his journey. Tree-Ear's life is above all built on a pattern: he lives under a bridge, he has lost his only friend and he struggles to survive each day, but then he finds a home, a family and a place of hospitality. When coincidences occur, we often feel like there is a deep pattern of meaning, as if our steps are being guided. Tree-Ear's body was surrounded by negative energies – energies that gravitated him towards the ground. Just as Tree-Ear was about to give up on his dreams, he sees a deer – “a clear vision emerging from a cloudy dream” (75). At this particular moment, Tree-Ear had no balance or control over the connection and detachment of his consciousness. He was forced to turn his attention to this deer. The deer was sent by earth to guide Tree-Ear further on his journey. Although he couldn't touch the deer, he could see it clearly. This angelic deer allowed Tree-Ear to envision her own “dream” more vividly, incorporating faith and trust into her heart. Here, the Yang symbol works greatly to exalt hope in Tree-Ear, making him only a few steps away from enlightenment. Just when Tree-Ear feels like he has conquered all his fears and desires, he sees a fox and “blinks his eyes to see clearly” (114). The fox, in fact, is a representation of Tree-Ear's deepest and darkest fears. There could be damaging forces coming from Tree-Ear's unconscious: when Tree-Ear sees the fox, he "closed his eyes to block the fox's evil gaze." » (114). The fact that he doesn't want to look him in the eyes shows how much he fears for his future. The fox consumed all the hope he had accumulated from the deer. When he "blinks his eyes to see clearly" and opens it again, he notices that the fox has disappeared. It was then that he learned that fear does not exist, that it is nothing more than a black fog of smoke. He could have run away from his fears, but he stayed firmly on the ground, showing true courage. Here the Yin symbol also works greatly to conform courage to Tree-Ear, making him only one step away from enlightenment. When Tree-Ear returns with good news from his journey, he is then followed by news of Crane-man's death. This caused him to begin to feel “detached” (143) from his body. The detachment symbolizes a rebirth – or the way he lets part of his old self go. When Ajma names Tree-Ear Hyung-pil, it shows us how he has established a new identity, an enlightened identity. Yin and Yang worked perfectly together to give Tree-Ear his new family, his.