Transcript Symbolism - Notes

Symbolism
What you see is not always what
you get…
Sometimes you get more!
What is symbolism?
• A symbol is the use of a concrete object to represent an abstract idea.
• A symbol, as it is utilized in literature, can be a person, an object, or even
a situation, and it is used to represent something greater than the actual
object.
• Many symbols are considered universal , and have meaning that can be
understood by different cultures and audiences.
(heart = love; skull & bones = death; white flag = surrender).
• Universal symbols have a generally agreed upon meaning.
Symbolism is used to provide
more meaning to the writing
beyond what is actually being
written.
Think about the story of
the ugly duckling. What
might the ugly duckling
The
Ugly Duckling
symbolize?
Symbolism is used to…
• Provide meaning beyond the obvious:
– Emphasize key ideas or themes:
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.
In literature, symbols are full of meaning and
are used to develop atmosphere in the text.
• 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: The break of dawn may
show the end of conflict, or the “start of
a new day.”
Why Create Symbols?
You may ask, “Why don’t writers just say what they mean?”
• Symbols allow writers to suggest layers and layers of
meaning - possibilities that a simple, literal statement could
never convey.
• A symbol is like a pebble cast into a pond: It sends out ever
widening ripples of meaning
Examples from Literature
Star Wars – Lightsabers
• Good and Evil is represented by color;
blue being the light side and red the dark
side
Even toddlers recognize common
symbols…
Groups use symbols
• For example…
Color often symbolize moods..
Symbolic Meaning of Colors
• Red : immoral; blood, passion, emotion, danger, or
daring; often associated with fire
• Black: seen as a cold and negative aspect suggesting
passivity, death, ignorance, or evil; black hens are
used in witchcraft as are black cats
• Green : inexperience, hope; new life, immaturity; it is a
comforting, refreshing human color; it is the color of
plant life
• Yellow : rotting, heat, decay, violence, decrepitude,
old age, and the approach of death; bright; happiness
• Blue : cool, calm, peaceful; an insubstantial color in
the real world except as translucency, the void of
heavens
• Pink : innocence, femininity
• White : innocence, life, light, purity, or enlightenment
What might these colors
symbolize?
Red?
How about a pink ribbon?
Remember, a symbol is the use
of a concrete object to represent
an abstract idea.
What’s the difference in these
symbols?
Which would you rather receive?
Seasons can be used as symbols
Nature
Seasons
– Spring: birth, new beginning
– Summer: maturity, knowledge, change
– Autumn: decline, nearing death, growing old
– Winter: death, sleep, hibernation, or
stagnation
Even Light Itself!
Light: truth, safety, warmth, knowledge
Darkness: evil, ignorance, danger
Objects can hold meaning too …
Remember, a symbol is the use
of a concrete object to
represent an abstract idea.