Death is a unique part of life, and loss is an inevitable result of death. In Alice Walker's 1973 short story “The Flowers,” the loss of innocence and death in childhood are illuminated through the experience of a little girl and her encounter with a dead man in post-slavery America. Louise Erdrich's 1984 short story “The Red Convertible” is a story of loss in the face of death, set in Vietnam-era America. Walker and Erdrich both use strong imagery and symbolism to effectively portray the impact of the common themes of loss and death in both tales, albeit in different ways. It is important to note the progression of the plots of both stories and how imagery and symbolism plays a vital role in the development of death and loss as themes. In “The Flowers,” Walker writes a short, nine-paragraph account of Myop, a ten-year-old black girl whose day begins carefree and full of life. In the very first paragraph, Walker sets a tone of wonder and happiness, stating that every day is “a golden surprise” and “days have never been as beautiful as these” (Walker 20). As Myop sets off on his adventure through the familiar plot behind his house picking the flowers alluded to in the story's title, the images begin to change in subtle ways that foreshadow a looming event. Walker writes: She had often been so far away before, but the strangeness of the country made it not so pleasant as her usual haunts. The little cove he was in seemed gloomy. The air was humid, the silence thick and deep (Walker 21). In these three short sentences Walker completely transforms the story. Powerful and persuasive phrasing launches the story towards the unfortunate conclusion where Myop is faced with decay... in the middle of the card... strong uses of imagery, symbolism and the impact of universal themes transcend impervious barriers between readers and written pages. The quintessence of imagery and symbolism culminates in the titles of the stories themselves, as both contain their symbols in the names “The Flowers” ​​and “The Red Convertible.” Headlines are the final written statements that the authors give the reader to think about and think about, once again driving home the impact of the loss contained within the pages. Works Cited Erdrich, Louise. "The Red Corvette." 1984. Approaching literature: reading + thinking + writing. Ed. Peter Schakel and Jack Ridl. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2012. 126-133. Print.Walker, Alice. "The flowers." 1973. Approach to literature: reading + thinking + writing. Ed. Peter Schakel and Jack Ridl. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. 20-21. Press.