Symbolism

Literary Symbolism

A symbol is a word or object that represents something more than itself. For instance, as you saw in the Warm-Up activity, a cross can mean a cross, but it can also stand for Christianity, faith, or even Jesus Christ. A heart can mean love or passion. Symbols are used everywhere in your world. A red octagonal shape immediately causes you to stop or slow down, even without the word "Stop" written across it. You have been trained to recognize many symbols without having to think about it, and that is why symbols can be such an effective device for communication.

Symbols are not just a strategy used by authors and English teachers; everyone uses symbolism in his or her life. Think for a moment about your most prized possessions. What would you save first (besides your family and pets) in a fire? Chances are that possession means more to you than its literal object. Perhaps it is a necklace that your grandmother passed down to you; it is not a mere necklace, but a symbol of her love for you. Perhaps it is an old baseball glove; it is not a mere used object, but a symbol of when your dad took you to your first game. If someone else looked at your treasured possessions, he or she may not see anything significant about them. Therefore, symbols are subjective. A popular song on the radio might symbolize a bad break-up, but to your friend, the song makes her happy!

In literature, symbols play an important role in creating depth of meaning in the story. The process is the same as in real life, but now you must figure out how the character’s subjective thinking applies symbolism to something. Symbolism, or the use of words, phrases, or descriptions which represent a deeper meaning than the words themselves, can transform a story and deliver a powerful message to the readers. The plot and action that take place in a story can be thought of as one level while the meaning that stems from symbolism can be placed on another level, thus enhancing the story and the complexity of its message.

Recall the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald that you read in Topic One. In "Winter Dreams," one of the most prominent symbols is the winter season itself. The story's opening explains that whenever the winter season approaches, Dexter is filled with hope and slips into enticing daydreams about a better life. However, the winter dreams—symbolized by the winter season—lead to an empty and unfulfilling life. It is during the warm spring and summer seasons when the story's protagonist Dexter throws away opportunities in his life that could potentially lead to true happiness because he is blinded by his winter dreams, or illusions of wealthy and social status. For example, he quits his job as a caddy in response to his aversion to serving the upper class even though he could earn a lot of money during the summer. Likewise, he rejects an offer by his father to pay for local college courses in favor of going broke at a university in the more glamorous East. And most ruinously, he breaks an engagement with an intelligent and kind woman only to be abandoned by the socialite who lured him away from a respectable relationship. Dexter has the potential to find a happy life, but his flawed winter dreams time and again mislead him away from fulfillment, leaving him with such a shallow, meaningless life that his future is not even worth protecting from the peril of fighting in a world war.

Do not feel overwhelmed by the challenge of interpreting an author's message through an analysis of symbols. While it may seem like a complicated or complex device, symbolism is actually a valuable tool to understanding literature. Think of it more as a type of shorthand or guide to decoding a story or message. In this interactivity, click the checkboxes from the clipboard to examine a list of common literary symbols in more detail.

View a printable version of the interactivity.

The symbol example in "Winter Dreams" is a fairly advanced example of literary symbolism. However, there are common or universal symbols that appear often in literature in the form of natural elements, settings, actions, and objects. Understanding these common symbols will facilitate your interpretation of the text. Symbolism plays a very important role in literature. However, it is also equally important to remember that sometimes a rose is just a rose and the sun is just the sun. Not everything in a story is intended to be symbolic.

As you can probably guess by now, there is much symbolism in the novel for your novel study. Both stories (Their Eyes Were Watching God and Of Mice and Men) involve rural or agricultural settings. And yes, these settings are symbolic. Remembering the elements of Modernism, these settings represent the protagonists' arduous journeys to achieve their American dream. However, there is more symbolism than just the settings. As you read, are there any objects that play an important role in the stories?

 

Symbolism Review

What are some of the different universal symbols that can be found in literature? Can you identify symbolism in literature if you read it? Now that you have explored symbolism, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Read each quotation, then select the appropriate description. Click on the player button to get started.