The short story “Flowers” by RobinJenkins clearly portrays the
evil present in everyman. “Flowers”, a symbolic story about the loss of
innocence, explores the more universal implications of this theme.
Childhood can be seen to be one of the most innocent states of life and yet
Margaret clearly manifests a propensity for destruction and viciousness. Margaret is
portrayed as sullen and disobedient from the outset - “The red-eyed dissenter” who sneers at
the others in her class for their enthusiasm and breaks a “sacred promise” by jumping over the
dyke and heading to the forbidden beach. Margaret strikes out viciously at a snake in an unprovoked attack
and comes very close to crushing a beautiful flower to destroy it.
However Jenkins makes it clear that the children are also victims themselves.
Margaret is isolated and lonely. She has been evacuated to the Highlands because
of the war and misses her familiar life back in Glasgow.
“She wished to see the shops, houses, tramcars of home.”
Jenkins emphasises her alienation by describing how the Gaelic spoken by the others is
“mysterious and hateful”. When she hits out at the snake it is because it seemed to represent
“that detestable alien country”. Margaret sees the snake as a dangerous threat just like the
Highlands to which she has been evacuated. This is reinforced later when the author
describes the jellyfish as “stinging” and the crabs as “ferocious” emphasising Margaret’s fear
of the unknown landscape she now finds herself in as a result of the war. The author is
suggesting that Margaret is reacting to the difficult situation she has been put in by the adults
in her life. Margaret rebels against her new schoolteacher and her new environment.
Another point is the significance of the setting in the authors’ portrayal of
the theme. The natural world in “Flowers” is described in detail and suggests that the
Highland setting is an almost perfect paradise. The author’s word choice achieves this effect.
For example “velvety foliage” and “shallow glittering water”.
The fact that this seemingly idyllic setting has hidden dangers such as the adder and the
“stinging jellyfish” reflect the fact that mankind who can be innocent and vulnerable, like
Margaret, also have hidden evils. This is made even more clear by the discovery of the dead
and disfigured airmen on the beautiful beach. The way Jenkins has structured this section
cleverly adds to the impact of the discovery. He describes the sea as “glittering” and the men
“moving gently with the waves‘ push“, deceiving not only Margaret as she “shyly” approaches
the airmen but also the reader. The stark contrast between this perfect setting and the matter
of fact, gruesome description of the men emphasises how mankind’s evil war has destroyed not
only the innocence of the airmen who lost their lives in such a pointless way but also the
innocence of the natural highland landscape tainted by man’s war.
“The one with the single boot had only one leg; the fingers of his right
hand, flung out in the shallow water, were gleaming bones.”
Another way the author explores the theme of man’s capacity for destruction is the use of
symbolism. “Flowers” is a highly symbolic story using biblical allusion to underline the theme.
The setting is reminiscent of the Garden of Eden in its beauty and innocence and the snake
tempts Margaret to sin by evoking her anger and viciousness. The bodies of dead airmen, a
product of man’s war, can be seen to taint the innocence of the setting in the same way that
Adam and Eve spoiled Eden by their disobedience. The snake itself is also symbolic: the
“green with gold and black zigzag markings” represent the swastika and the colours of the
German flag, and the phrase “alien country” can equally be taken to mean Germany, the enemy
and the cause of the evil and destruction of the war.
In the same way the end of “Flowers” marks a new understanding for Margaret. She sees the
“green and black mess“ left when she accidentally crushes the flower and reacts hysterically
as if it was the disfigured bodies she had touched. The flower symbolically represents
innocence and Margaret herself realised this when she stopped herself destroying it earlier.
“Its beauty, harmlessness and its loneliness...moved her instead to
stoop, tenderly pluck it, and hold it against her cheek.”
The airmen are also described as “flowers” by the teacher linking their deaths to the loss of
innocence, something else that Margaret has realised: she has gained an understanding of the
evil present in the world.
In conclusion, both “Flowers” explores man’s capacity for evil and
destruction through characterisation, setting and symbolism. Margaret, although a
a child, is seen to be vicious and destructive. Despite providing motives for her
actions, the impression the authors leave us with is that mankind, from the time of Adam and
Eve, is capable of disobedience, destruction and evil.