How does Alice Childress use imagery in Wine in the Wilderness?

The imagery is reflected through the symbolism of the story. Throughout the play, Childress makes use of symbolism in order to express her thematic concerns. The central symbol of Wine in the Wilderness is captured in the play's title, which is also the title of Bill's "triptych," as well as the title of the central painting in the triptych. Bill's image of "Wine in the Wilderness" represents his idealized vision of "black womanhood." He explains to Oldtimer the origin of this title: "Once, a long time ago, a poet named Omar told us what a paradise life could be if a man had a loaf of bread, a jug of wine and . . . a woman singing to him in the wilderness." He states that his image of "perfect black womanhood" is "the woman, she is the bread, she is the wine, she is the singing." In other words, she is "paradise."