Ashes to Ashes

What a story's title is shows a lot about how the author wants you to perceive the book. Depending on what the title is, the reader will have a very different feel and thought process while reading the story. With that as the main idea, it brings to attention the short story "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona." In my mind, it doesn't seem to have the most fitting name. It doesn't really discuss anything about the book, and the only real connection is that it takes place in Phoenix, Arizona. I think that a more fitting title would be "Ashes to Ashes." The reason behind this is very simple, and it plays in to some of the different things that are actually represented in the story itself.
I think that the title "Ashes to Ashes" is good, because it is related to some of the story's main concepts. The first concept is obviously the father's ashes, because it's the whole plot of the story. They're the only reason why the entire story happens in the first place, it was why Victor and Thomas ever got back together. In addition, the phrase "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" is a religious phrase about life and death. It is said on Ash Wednesday, after the priest mentions how the beginning and the end are the same. This is seen as Thomas and Victor used to be friends, until they fell, and then became friends again later on in the story. There is also a slight religious view, due to the visions and prophecies.

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 22, 2020 at 1:33 PM

    I agree that a story's (or a book's) title is a useful tool for interpreting that text, and I agree that "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" is sort of an odd choice for the story. (Perhaps my issue with the title has something to do with my belief that standalone "this"s tend to obscure rather than clarify--they're a pet peeve of mine as an English teacher.) I like your suggested alternative title, and particularly appreciate your point about the beginning and the end being the same (which seems to connect to Thomas's point that "Nothing stops"). In your new title, there may also be an implicit connection to Thomas-Builds-the-Fire (since fires also produce ashes). -Ms. O'Brien

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