1. What Is a Symbol?  A symbol is a person, a place, a thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and also stands for something beyond itself.  Something concrete that stands for something abstract. The use of symbols in literature is called symbolism. © Bill Ross/CORBIS © 2003 clipart.com

2. Why Writers Use Symbols Writers may use symbols to add multiple meanings to their work in order to:  emphasize a theme  reveal character traits  add details to setting and create images for the reader  create mood  signify important events This leads readers beyond a surface understanding of the text and allows readers to form their own interpretations.

3. How to Identify Symbols  To identify symbols in a selection watch for:  details that seem unusual or out of place  things that are repeated during important events or when talking about the main characters  details that have more than one meaning  Characters, objects, figures, colors

4. Searching Too Hard  Avoid going overboard when looking for symbols. Not all literary works contain symbols. Be careful not to turn every object or event into a symbol.  While over interpretation can seem to add new meaning to works, it may stray from the writer’s intent.

5. Are the following statements true or false? _________- A symbol stands for something other than itself. _________ -Symbols can only be objects. _________-Symbols can give multiple meanings to a literary work. ________ - The use of symbols does not help in understanding the characters in the story. ________ - All literary works contain symbols. What Have You Learned?