Allegory - The apple orchards
Apple orchards are featured frequently throughout the novel. While this may seem an odd choice, being that the novel is centered around the orphanage, the reoccurring orchards are not without meaning. One of the novel’s main themes is the concept of growth and upbringing, and how our upbringing affects who we are. The orphans, throughout the novel, all express the different ways that growing up in the orphanage affected them; for example, Homer’s long stay at the orphanage caused him to become ignorant and oblivious to the modern world. The apple orchards represent this concept. An apple tree’s growth is affected by where it is planted, and how well it is being tended to; this represents a person being affected by where they grew up, and how well they were treated. Additionally, apples are considered useful fruit that need to be picked and consumed in some way. However, depending on what type of apple they are, and how good their quality is, these uses vary. Some are used for cider, jelly, honey, for eating, and so on. For example, when Homer tries to make cider out of a different apple type than usual, the cider does not end up satisfactory. This concept shows how said upbringings create different types of people, and these different types of people all have different ‘uses’, some considered better than others. As well as this, Homer’s cider conundrum shows that if people end up doing something that isn’t what they are ‘meant to do’, this can have negative results.
Symbol - Knives
Knives are frequently seen objects throughout the novel. They are seen from very early on, when Dr Larch is mentioned to circumcise the newborn orphans, presumably with a scalpel, or a similar sharp object. They are also seen in a different light further into the novel, with Mr Rose being involved in the ‘knife business’. All of the knives in the novel, despite being used for different purposes, all represent power and control. In particular, Mr Rose’s death due to knives is a pertinent example of this concept. After suffering abuse from her father, Mr Rose’s daughter steals a knife from a worker and kills Mr Rose. The knife allowed her to finally have power over her father and be rid of the anguish he caused her. The worker who had had his knife stolen later watches Mr Rose die; it seems that without his knife, he has no power ‒ his power was stolen by Mr Rose’s daughter and used for a different purpose than what he would have intended. As well as this, all of the people who own knives are considered ‘rebels’ against society. Mr Rose’s knife gang are all outcasts, partly because of their race and partly because of their low social status. Dr Larch is considered an outcast because he performs abortions, which was considered unjust and taboo in the day. Thus, these weapons not only represent power, but also represent rebellion against society’s rules.
Symbol - The ferris wheel
One particularly emotive scene from The Cider House Rules is the scene in which the black cider house workers all sit on top of the roof and watch a distant ferris wheel. They are known to do this often, never tiring of the wonder they obtain from watching it. Many of them make hypothesis about what it might be ‒ some even say that is might be alive. This ferris wheel represents the excitement and wonder we all feel towards the unknown, to the things in the world we haven’t yet experienced. The cider house workers, being outcasts of society, would likely never get to experience many of the things that others take for granted; including things as simple as ferris wheels. However, this is not altogether a bad thing, as expressed by Mr Rose. When he goes on the ferris wheel, he finds that it is nothing incredible at all, and decides that the workers shouldn’t be told about how ordinary it really is. This shows how the unknown parts of the world may seem beautiful from a distance, but can often turn out to not be what we thought they would be. The workers are much happier not finding out the truth about the ferris wheel, and are instead content to wonder about it; one could say that they firmly believe that ‘ignorance is bliss’.
Symbol - The briefcase
Near the very end of the novel, soon before Dr Larch dies, he sends Homer a doctor’s briefcase, all equipped with the gear that he would need to take over Dr Larch’s job. This briefcase represents the passing down of knowledge that Larch has spent his whole life doing; it is the moment that Homer finally goes down the path that he was always intended to. Throughout the novel, Homer learns about midwifery and abortion but never truly wants to go down that path, claiming that he has the right to choose ‒ he never truly absorbs the information that Larch is teaching him. Just before Larch’s death is when Homer finally realizes that he was always meant to go down that path after all, and finally picks up the briefcase, absorbing the information he had been fed all of his life. Therefore, the briefcase encapsulates this final realization of self, and acceptance of fate.
Symbol - Ether
It is established very early on in the novel that Dr Larch is a known ether addict. Ether acts as an escape for him, allowing him to temporarily forget his disagreements with Homer or his often unpleasant job. To him, ether represents a certain freedom from the negativity of the world. This represents the tendency that people have to find a temporary escape from their problems, rather than actually solving the root of them. While ether is the main example of this, other characters also have their personal versions of ether ‒ for example, Homer’s lovemaking with Candy. These things, while they bring temporary pleasure, will not ever make people happy. Therefore, ether represents this said emotional band-aid ‒ the things that all humans do because they are too lazy or feel they cannot fix their underlying issues.
