Composition Notebook Symbol Analysis

In New York, Jacqueline receives a composition notebook. The smell and sound of the pages and the look of the cover immediately enrapture Jacqueline. As the memoir progresses, Jacqueline learns to write her full name in the composition notebook. She goes on to transcribe audio she hears on the radio or television into the notebook, helping her learn to read. Later, Jacqueline writes original stories and poems in the notebook. Seeing Jacqueline’s relationship to the notebook develop allows the reader to track Jacqueline’s progress as a writer and a storyteller. The notebook also symbolizes Jacqueline’s expansive freedom of imagination, which allows her to escape from the painful aspects of her life.