Passage 1: pp. 106, pp. 125, pp.

163

Throughout the book There There Orange reflects the hardships that the characters have
had to endure and overcome through symbolism and recurring motifs. In the Red- Feather/ Bear
Shield plotline, Orange utilizes the symbolism of Veho and the spider legs, to represent growth,
maturity and the facing the cruel reality of the world. Veho, is the word used for the white man or
the fool- one who is playful, silly and behaves inappropriately. As defined by Jacquie, “The trickster
spider, Veho, her mom used to tell her and Opal about, he was alway stealing eyes to see better. Veho
was the white man who came and made the whole world watch with his eyes” (Orange 106) . In the
novel, Veho is meant to symbolize the cruel realities of the world, in terms of native american
experience, and how Orvil will have to face the dangers which he inevitably experiences in the shooting
at the end of the book. In this way, Veho means danger and the influence of the white man. Veho and
the spider legs also carry an impactful meaning for Orvil and Opal, and that is that they are a metaphor
for the hardship that both characters face or have to face in the future and they are a symbol for coming
of age, the realization that the world around them is not safe, it is malicious. It also serves as a symbol
for the passing of generations, as Opal says, “she would have been had this not happened to her when
she was around the same age Orvil is now.” (Orange 163) the experience is multi- generational.
Ultimately, Veho and the spider legs serve as a powerful symbol for the family and their development.

Passage 2: pp. 290

Despite the chaos and pandemonium, Tommy Orange ends There There with the death of
Tony Loneman, a sad but relatively tranquil ending. Here, in this passage, Tony slowly feels
himself passing, he expresses the feeling of something inside of him bounding or anchoring him
to the earth. He hears the sound of a bird and recalls the memory of dancing with his
grandmother. The feeling that Tony feels of being anchored represents how he feels he has been
constrained in his body and his struggle with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) as it's said “the
anchor is something he's been rooted to all this time.” (Orange 290). Growing up with FAS, Tony
has always felt its presence as he expresses in the beginning of the book. However, as the
passage goes on, Tony hears the birds, and is reminded of his grandmother. He slowly starts to
feel relief as he recalls memories of dancing with her. They are surrounded by birds and their
songs, and Tony no longer feels anchored. The birds represent not only his passing but also his
freedom. His freedom from FAS, the struggles he has been through in life and his earthly
bounds. The birds represent peace and tranquility. Overall, this is a beautiful ending to the novel
and in a way shows how his Native values (his time with his grandmother) have helped him to
find inner peace. It leaves us as the readers, sad yet calm, just like death.