Final answer:
To the main characters in both stories, observing the stars represents a deep symbolic engagement with themes of divine guidance, existential introspection, and a seeking for patterns or meaning in life, much like ancient cultures did.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the stories "The Man with a Nose" and "Aunt Zézé’s Tears," the act of observing the stars plays a significant symbolic role for the main characters. In ancient times, the stars were deeply integral to daily life, seen as a connection to the divine, portents of the gods' wills, or celestial events that needed interpretation. Observing the stars was akin to seeking guidance and understanding from higher powers. The narratives of these stories may echo this sentiment, wherein the characters look towards the stars as a source of reflection, inspiration, or existential thought.
For example, a character feeling frightened by the stars as they make her question her past experiences and the reality of her youth suggests a profound moment of introspection. This recognition of the stars' vastness and the resultant feeling of insignificance or awe is a common theme across cultures that have witnessed the night sky's beauty without the interference of modern artificial lighting. The stars simultaneously offer a sense of majestic regularity and surprise, further lending to their role as symbols of life's larger questions and mysteries.
Observing the sky's movements, such as the celestial sphere theory of the ancient Greeks, could translate into a metaphor for the characters' perception of their own lives, possibly feeling as though they are at the center of a great turning wheel of fate or time. Constellations, another element stemming from star observation, served as navigational guides but also as a means to commemorate heroes, dangers, or significant events, which could mirror the characters' desire to find meaning or patterns in their existence analogous to how ancient civilizations found patterns in the stars.