Ninth Ward

A strong symbol of Lanesha’s forethought and fortitude is the axe. Going to the shed to collect the axe is proof of Lanesha’s prudence: “Then I think, I don’t know why, what if we’re trapped?” (161). It is also notable that although Mama Ya-Ya must work to convince Lanesha to move supplies to the attic, she never mentions the axe; that choice is Lanesha’s forethought at work. She shows fortitude in entering the rickety shed and hauling the dangerous tool up the attic; later, it takes great physical strength to use it: “Bam. The power is in my arms. I swing and swing ‘til there’s a ragged hole around the window” (136). Ultimately, the axe is the key to survival and the reason Lanesha, TaShon, and Spot do not drown in the attic.

Other symbols of fortitude exist throughout the story too. The pre-algebra book Miss Johnson gives Lanesha is a symbol for her strength with numbers and problem-solving; those strengths will help her gauge the rate of the rising water and the angles needed to free the boat. The tree trunk is another symbol for fortitude; it is big, heavy, strong, and when wielded correctly, packs enough of a punch to free the boat, which leads to their rescue.