Symbolism and Memory in Marilyn Nelson Wanieck’s “The Century Quilt”

In the excerpt of Marilyn Nelson Wanieck’s “the Century Quilt,” the complex meaning that the speaker attributes to the century quilt is her family throughout generations. The speaker does this through colorful imagery and reminiscent and dream-like diction. The century Quilt symbolizes how family traditions and memories can be passed down between generations through certain objects such as heirlooms. The colorful imagery exemplifies the family and how each color has an attributed meaning and significance because of inherent memory to the speaker’s family. For instance, “Fell asleep under army green issued to Daddy by Supply,” (L3-5) depicts the color green on the quilt having significance and memories attached. It implies that the father served in the military and demonstrates how the quilt is made from scrap cloth. The scrap cloth that is used in the century quilt has strong family ties and bonds because of the symbolism each color provides and represents. Another example is “one square the yellow brown of Mama’s cheeks,” (L16-17) where the color from the quilt represents skin color of the speaker’s mother. Her skin color is significant because it also determines her family’s traditions and beliefs. The colorful imagery begins to inherit meaning to the family’s skin color and race. For example, “among her yellow sisters, their grandfather’s white family nodding at them when they met,” (L25-26) depicts a family that is not close and cold due to the difference in the color of their skin. The imagery places an emphasis on color because the speaker’s skin color because it represents the family’s traditions. The phrase, “two white squares,” (L16) on the century quilt represents speaker’s white family. Furthermore, the quilt represents the speaker’s family experiences and traditions. This ties back to the theme of the story of how family traditions and memories can be passed down through the century quilt because of the quilt’s significance. The color continues to represent the speaker’s family with the phrase “father’s burnt umber pride,” (L39) illustrates her family’s Native American pride. They’re family is further represented within the century quilt with “Six Van Dyke brown squares.” (L15) Further demonstrating the family being represented through the century quilt. The speaker’s mother’s “ochre” (L40) gentleness further uses colorful imagery to represent personality, people, and emotions. The colors throughout the poem are earth tones, muted, and natural. These colors also represent Native American heritage and roots. The Native American heritage can be passed down through the century quilt, which connects to the theme of the poem. The reminiscent and dream-like diction represents the memories and experiences that are passed through the century quilt. For example, “wrap ourselves at play in its fold and the chieftains and princesses,” (L10-11) demonstrates the memories that are attached to the century quilt. The reminiscent diction develops this idea because it transforms an object into being able to represent childhood memories. The century quilt is directly integrated to good memory for the speaker. The phrases “caress me into the silence,” (L20) and “I’d have good dreams for a hundred years under this quilt,” (L21-22) both exemplify the dream-like diction. The diction represents how the quilt provides comfort to the speaker because of all the memories attached to it. Therefore, she could fall asleep under it for “a hundred years,” directly tied to the word century. The hundred years symbolizes the years of family memories and traditions that are passed down through the quilt. Furthermore, the phrases “I’d dream of myself, of my childhood of miracles,” (L37-38) and “dream of myself perhaps I’d meet my son or my other child, as yet unconceived,” (L41-43) represents the reminiscent and dream like diction because it points to the past and the future. The quilt allows for all the memories and future possibilities to combine as they will all be inherited into the quilt.