SYMBOL Person, object, action, place, event that suggests a more COMPLEX meaning than its LITERAL one Usually represents something ABSTRACT (like virtue or vice)

Symbolic meaning HOUSE Security Privacy Family Warmth

UNIVERSAL SYMBOL (ARCHETYPAL) Suggest the SAME thing to most people e.g. the Old man the Mother

CONVENTIONAL SYMBOL Suggest the SAME thing to people who share common cultural and social assumptions e.g. rose (love) skull (poison)

LITERARY SYMBOLS Usually adopted from universal or conventional symbols Different meanings to different people Enrich the depiction of character or theme Expand possible meanings of a story

ALLEGORY Characters, events etc. that represent qualities or ideas related to morality, religion or politics The most famous allegory in English is John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress (1678), an allegory of Christian salvation represented by the varied experiences of its Everyman hero, Christian

MYTH Stories that a particular culture believes to be true Stories about divine or heroic beings passed down traditionally, and linked to the spiritual or religious life of a community, endorsed by rulers or priests Use the supernatural to interpret natural events and to explain the nature of the universe and humanity e.g. Greek mythology, Roman mythology

THEME Main idea of a story that extends beyond the story and applies to the outside world e.g. A Rose for Emily Theme: The search for love and security, a basic human need, can be met unfavorably in equivocal environments. A story may have more than one theme

Answer to these questions: What is the author trying to communicate? What's the author's point?

Which of the following are true of literary themes? (Choose all that apply) A. Inferred from evidence in the text B. Arise out of the interplay between story elements C. Stated clearly at the beginning of the story D. Are universal E. Should be expressed in a complete sentence

IDENTIFYING THEMES Title Narrator’s or character’s statement Arrangement of events Conflict Point of view Symbols Changes in a character