I believe the rattlesnake was not only a metaphor for karma
and justice but also represented a dangerous challenge in a relationship; both
literal and symbolic. Delia’s husband in a sense dared her to cross that line
where the snake was while unintentionally challenging her to conquer her fears
of staying in a relationship that would inevitably be the death of her. In my
opinion the rattlesnake is a tool for Delia to either use or let lead to her
defeat. Without her being courageous enough to step over it, the snake would
have never been moved to where it was to bite Sykes.
So the snake is an obstacle/fear she must conquer. But aside from being a tool for Delia, is the snake also symbolic in relation to Delia's faith? Also, think about the manner in which the narrator describes Delia's feelings about her home and the vegetation that surrounds it.
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