Let us remind ourselves about what is said concerning
these two jars that appear towards the end of this excellent short story, when the
narrator finally succeeds in his goal of visiting the bazaar. As he looks at a stall,
the young lady who is having a conversation with two young gentleman comes over and asks
the boy if he wants to buy anything. Note the boy's
response:
I
looked humbly at the great jars that stood like eastern guards at either side of the
dark entrance to the stall and murmured: - No, thank
you.
We can see that a simile
is used to describe the two jars, which may help us as we consider what they symbolise.
They are compared to "eastern guards," that stand watch at the "dark entrance" to the
stall. They seem to make the boy feel out of place and to humble him. Looking at this
description in the context of the story as a whole, perhaps we can say that these jars
therefore represent yet another example of the contrast between the boys hopes and the
reality of the bazaar. Having hoped to find a place full of mystical enchantment, he
only finds a rather imposing pair of jars that humble him and remind him of who he
really is: a young, naive boy lacking in bravery and courage.
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