1. Notes: Symbols What is a symbol?
a person, place, thing or event that has meaning itself and that also stands for something more than itself.

2. Symbols
What is this?
Target created the bulls-eye logo to symbolize the company’s goal: “As a marksman's goal is to hit the center bulls-eye, the new store would do much the same in terms of retail goods, services, commitment to the community, price, value and overall experience."

3. Notes: Symbols What is symbolism in literature?
the practice or art of using an object or a word to represent a deeper meaning or concept. An action, person, place, word, or object can all have a symbolic meaning.

4. Symbolism in Of Mice and Men:
George and Lennie’s farm: The farm that George constantly describes to Lennie—those few acres of land on which they will grow their own food and tend their own livestock—is one of the most powerful symbols in the book. It seduces not only the other characters but also the reader, who, like the men, wants to believe in the possibility of the free, idyllic life it promises. Candy is immediately drawn in by the dream, and even the cynical Crooks hopes that Lennie and George will let him live there too. A paradise for men who want to be masters of their own lives, the farm represents the possibility of freedom, self-reliance, and protection from the cruelties of the world.

5. Symbolism in Of Mice and Men:
Lennie’s puppy: Lennie’s puppy is one of several symbols that represent the victory of the strong over the weak. Lennie kills the puppy accidentally, as he has killed many mice before, by virtue of his failure to recognize his own strength. Although no other character can match Lennie’s physical strength, the huge Lennie will soon meet a fate similar to that of his small puppy. Like an innocent animal, Lennie is unaware of the vicious, predatory powers that surround him.

6. Symbolism in Marigolds:
Marigolds: To Miss Lottie, the Marigolds symbolize beauty, life, and hope in an otherwise cruel, ugly world. At the end of the story, Lizabeth says, “I have since planted my own Marigolds (81).” She is not referring to literally planting flowers, she means that she has found things to represent beauty and hope in her own life.

7. Notes: Symbolism How is symbolism used in literature?
To provide meaning beyond the obvious
To emphasize key ideas or themes

8. Example: A river can represent the flow of life…
… or its depth may represent the unknown…
… the water might be purity…
… or there could be dangers beneath the surface.

9. Symbols can be used to give clues about important events in the story
Example: A storm occurring when there is a conflict or high emotions
Example: Transition from day
to night might = move from
goodness to evil
Example: And dawn may show the end of conflict, the “start of a new day.”