Who's afraid of the dark? In Tears of a Tiger, a lot of people are. Over and over again, we see the light give in to darkness in the novel. When Andy tells us how he's feeling through poetry or his therapy sessions, he always comes back to the idea of darkness. It's partly tied to his notion of race and the colors used to symbolize racial identity, but there's more to Andy's use of dark and light than racial stereotypes. In fact, he often uses it to describe what's going on with him emotionally. Pretty soon, we get a sense of how he's feeling just by how light it is around him.
Questions About Darkness and Light
- Why is darkness such a powerful image to Andy? When does he feel darkest?
- Who is light in the book? Why is Andy so dark in comparison?
- What do you think darkness represents? What comes to mind when you hear that someone is in darkness? How does this relate to Andy?
- Does Andy try to change his darkness at any point? Is he successful? Does he choose to be dark, or is he naturally that way?
Chew on This
Andy might live in the darkness, but he does so voluntarily by choosing not to deal with his issues.
Keisha's positivity creates a lightness that contrasts with Andy's darkness, but even she can't pull him out of his depression.