Symbolism Symbolism is a device used in literature, but it is also an idea that makes frequent appearances in the everyday life of almost all individuals, regardless of race, class, culture, age or location.

DEFINITION A symbol is a person, place, or thing that has come to represent an abstract idea or concept. A symbol is anything that stands for something beyond itself.

Example The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom, liberty and friendship.

Over years a symbol tends to take on meaning related to its history, function or appearance.

Example (the Statue of Liberty again) Bartholdi, the designer of the Statue of Liberty, knew that for most people chains represent tyranny; likewise, a broken chain symbolizes freedom. These associations were built in to the Statue during its creation. The people of France gave the US the Statue of Liberty, over 100 years ago, in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. Therefore, through its history and origin, the Statue of Liberty symbolizes friendship and goodwill.

Ideas can also be gradually transferred to an object over time. In this way, an object can take on new, sometimes unintended meanings.

Example (yet again, the Statue of Liberty) As millions of immigrants found themselves welcomed to America by the Statue of Liberty, it became associated with their struggle for freedom and desire for a better life.  In 1989, Chinese students demonstrating in Tianemen Square made a model of the Statue of Liberty to symbolize their revolution.

You may also develop symbolic associations with a place or object based on personal experiences. For example: If you meet your future spouse while on a tour of the Statue of Liberty, you may come to see the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of your relationship. More specifically: (Pretend) You and your spouse spend your first date at the Statue of Liberty. Therefore, the statue becomes symbolic of the joy of new discovery and romantic infatuation.

Review A symbol is an object or a picture that stands for an idea. Love, power, and anger are all ideas that we sometimes think of in terms of symbols. For example, a heart can stand for love, a lion or a sword can represent power, and the color red or a frowning face can symbolize anger. Many artists use symbols in their work.

This is a painted wooden statue of Fudô Myô-ô, a Buddhist deity, or god, from Japan. His name means "Immovable King of Brightness." Fudô Myô-ô guards the Buddhist faith and helps believers who pray for assistance. Look carefully at Fudô Myô-ô -- at his posture, his face, and his weapons. Do you see something that might be a symbol of his role as guardian or of any special powers he might have?

The Sword The sword is a symbol of wisdom because its sharp edge can cut through ignorance and destroy evil, both of which interfere with the attainment of enlightenment for Buddhists. The base of the sword has four prongs which form a shape known as a thunderbolt and symbolize unshakable power.

The Lasso The lasso is a symbol of protection. With this lasso, Fudô Myô-ô can tie up evil creatures, or he can catch and lead believers toward enlightenment.

The Rock Base The base takes the shape of rocks, hard and unmoving objects that symbolize Fudô's determination to guard the Buddhist faith.

The Hair and Face Fudo’s hair was once painted red. In addition, a red, flame-shaped halo once stood behind this statue. Red is a symbol of anger and of fire. It represents Fudô's battle to destroy evil—not only does he feel wrath against enemies, he also wishes them to be consumed the way fire consumes. Fudo frowns and clenches his fangs, and this expression symbolizes his determination to guard the Buddhist faith from evil. One of his eyes looks up and the other looks down; this is a symbol of Fudô's watchfulness as he guards both heaven and earth.

Other Common orWhere They Appear Well-Known Symbols A snake is often a symbol of evil White is often a symbol of innocence. Many colors have symbolic meaning. Harry Potter (it’s not just a coincidence that Slytherin, the house who’s symbol is a snake, is the evil house. The Bible – Book of Genesis (the devil comes to tempt Eve in the form of a snake. Young girls wear white to their confirmations and first communions as a symbol of their lack of sin.

How do I know it’s symbolic? 1.Look at how often a character or object in mentioned in the literature – if it is mentioned often, it is probably important. 2.Look at how much detail is used in describing an object. This tells you that the writer wants you to infer something about a particular object. 3.Familiarize yourself with the author's work and style. A symbol in a piece of literature often represents an important issue of the time in which the author lived, or has personal significance to the writer. 4.Trust your feelings. If an image or object described by the author makes you react in a certain way, you are probably on to something, never discredit your own feelings just because you're a novice. It is very likely that the author planted the image in the work in a particular way to alert the reader that a symbol is important. 5.Look to others. There is nothing wrong in reading critical essays or talking with more experienced readers to discover the symbolic meaning in a piece. With experience, finding symbols will become easier.

Let’s look at some symbols: Many symbols are universal (which means that they mean the same thing to almost everyone)  This is a symbol of.... Peace

Other Common Symbols

Remember: To become a symbol, a person, place or object only has to be recognized by a significant number of people as having a specific meaning. Some symbols may even have meaning for only you.