Symbolism Class Notes by Mrs. Galati

A symbol is:  Something that represents something else.  Either by association or by resemblance  It can be a material object or a written sign

Why a writer uses symbolism…  Symbolism is used when a writer uses an event, item or a character to stand for something else.  Symbols can be characters, such as a character symbolizing good or evil. People can be symbols, such as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.  Objects can also be symbols, such as the scarlet letter.  Authors use symbolism, a form of imagery, when they want to portray something to the reader without using the narrator.  Authors use symbolism, a form of imagery, when they want to portray something to the reader without using the narrator.

Let’s look at an example of symbolism…  The Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling could be seen as containing a lot of symbolism.  One clear example is the use of a snake to represent evil. It is no coincidence that the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent.

Steps to Identifying Symbols  Step 1 – Grasp the meaning of a “symbol.”  Step 2 – Recognize the signs.  Step 3 – Familiarize yourself with the author’s work and style.  Step 4 – Trust your feelings.  Step 5 –Look to others

Step One  Step 1 - Grasp the meaning of a "symbol." Just as the American bald eagle is often thought of as the symbol of the United States, symbols used in literature are objects used to represent other things or ideas. For example, in Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter," the "A" that Hester Prynne was forced to wear represented not only that she was an adulteress, but also the first letter of the name of her illegitimate child's father, the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. child's

Step Two  Step 2 - Recognize the signs. There are several ways to recognize symbolism in literature. One is the frequency an object or character is mentioned in a piece of literature-- if it is mentioned often, it is probably important. Another way to find a symbol is to look at how much detail is used in describing an object. These two methods give clues that the writer wants you to infer something about a particular object.

Step Three  Step 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. Edgar Allan Poe, for example, is well-known for the tragedy he suffered during his lifetime. His stories and poetry often included dark imagery and death which were undoubtedly symbolic of the events in his life. style

Step Four  Step 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. the reader the reader

Step Five  Step 5 - Look to others. There's no shame in reading critical essays about a literary work to gain a better understanding of it, or in discussing a piece of literature with a teacher or classmate. With experience, finding symbols will become easier, but when you are first starting out, it never hurts to get ideas from others who have a better grasp of symbolism.

Share Examples  Talk to the person next to you  Share one symbol that you identified from any book you have read.  Do you know what the symbol means? Can you explain it?  Using the Internet is a great way to learn more about the symbols in the literature that you read!

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