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The Color White
Liberty Bonds symbolize the larger problem of performed patriotism that is so prevalent throughout “Pale Horse, Pale Rider.” Liberty Bonds serve as a particularly apt representation of this larger problem because they simplify a more complicated set of actions and assumed attitudes into a neat, tangible object. Miranda frets over Liberty Bonds, not only because her limited financial means make it nearly impossible for her to purchase a bond, but also out of principle. For Miranda, a Liberty Bond is the quintessential example of the hypocrisy exhibited by individuals wanting to appear helpful without actually administering much help. Miranda finds it appalling that people assume an air of false importance for performing even the simplest acts of volunteerism. To Miranda, “patriotic” gestures such as Liberty Bonds, parades, fundraising dances, and visiting uninterested soldiers in the hospital, though helpful and nice in their own right, ultimately serve the purpose of making the volunteer feel warm, fuzzy, and superior inside. The Liberty Bond is the most tangible representation of the empty gestures employed to convey the appearance of patriotism, despite not being in and of itself.
Liberty Bonds Quotes in Pale Horse, Pale Rider
The Pale Horse, Pale Rider quotes below all refer to the symbol of Liberty Bonds. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Pale Horse, Pale Rider
Quotes
He might be anything at all, she thought; advance agent for a road show, promoter of a wildcat oil company, a former saloon keeper announcing the opening of a new cabaret, an automobile salesman—any follower of any one of the crafty, haphazard callings. But he was now all Patriot, working for the government.
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“Adam,” she said, “the worst of war is the fear and suspicion and the awful expression in all the eyes you meet…as if they had pulled down the shutters over their minds and their hearts and were peering out at you, ready to leap if you make one gesture or say one word they do not understand instantly.”
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Liberty Bonds Symbol Timeline in Pale Horse, Pale Rider
The timeline below shows where the symbol Liberty Bonds appears in Pale Horse, Pale Rider. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Pale Horse, Pale Rider
...loyal to the US. The men bully Miranda, questioning why she hasn’t yet bought a Liberty Bond . “With our American boys fighting and dying in Belleau Wood,” they argue, “anybody can...
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...insist that Miranda is the only employee in her office who’s yet to purchase a bond. Still, Miranda refuses, fuming inwardly: “Suppose I said to hell with this filthy war?” she...
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...She and her friend Mary Townsend (nicknamed Towney) fret about not being able to afford Liberty Bond s. They wonder if they’ll be fired or thrown in jail. Miranda remarks wryly that...
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...nailed at each upper corner, gathered in the middle and nailed again, sagging dustily.” A bond salesman appears onstage and proceeds to give a speech about the importance of buying Liberty...
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