Final answer:
When Mama says her plant 'expresses me,' she indicates it symbolizes her emotions or aspirations. The plant carries a symbolic significance, possibly representing nurturing and hope. Such symbolism using elements of nature often reflects deeper meanings in literature.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Mama states that her plant "expresses me," she is choosing words that reveal a deep personal connection to the plant, indicating that it symbolizes her emotions, aspirations, or personal growth. This choice of words goes beyond the physical presence of the plant and imbues it with a symbolic significance that reflects her inner life. The plant presumably represents nurturing, care, and perhaps hope for the future, as it is often through the care for living things that people express their deepest values and desires.
The symbolism in literature often assigns deeper meanings to elements of the natural world, such as plants, animals, or ecosystems. For example, a rose tree with white roses may represent purity, innocence, or the unattainable, while food offered to Pachamama in Andean rituals symbolizes respect and reverence for nature as a provider and nurturer.
Allegorical uses of nature, such as in poems or stories where plants or flowers might symbolize love, life, or decay, are common literary devices to convey complex emotions and themes. In this case, Mama's plant is not merely a botanical specimen; it becomes a symbol of her identity and spirit.