Transcript Symbolism

Symbolism
Symbolism is a device used in literature, but it is
also an idea that makes frequent appearances in
the everyday life of almost all individuals,
regardless of race, class, culture, age or location.
DEFINITION
A symbol is a person, place, or thing
that has come to represent an
abstract idea or concept.
A symbol is anything that stands for
something beyond itself.
Example

The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom,
liberty and friendship.
Over years a symbol tends to take
on meaning related to its history,
function or appearance.

Example
(the Statue of Liberty again)
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Bartholdi, the designer of the Statue of Liberty,
knew that for most people chains represent
tyranny; likewise, a broken chain symbolizes
freedom. These associations were built in to
the Statue during its creation.
The people of France gave the US the Statue
of Liberty, over 100 years ago, in recognition
of the friendship established during the
American Revolution. Therefore, through its
history and origin, the Statue of Liberty
symbolizes friendship and goodwill.
Ideas can also be gradually
transferred to an object over time. In
this way, an object can take on new,
sometimes unintended meanings.
Example
(yet again, the Statue of Liberty)

As millions of immigrants found themselves
welcomed to America by the Statue of Liberty,
it became associated with their struggle for
freedom and desire for a better life.

In 1989, Chinese students demonstrating in
Tianemen Square made a model of the
Statue of Liberty to symbolize their
revolution.
You may also develop symbolic
associations with a place or object
based on personal experiences.
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For example: If you meet your future spouse
while on a tour of the Statue of Liberty, you
may come to see the Statue of Liberty as a
symbol of your relationship.
More specifically: (Pretend) You and your
spouse spend your first date at the Statue of
Liberty. Therefore, the statue becomes
symbolic of the joy of new discovery and
romantic infatuation.
Review
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A symbol is an object or a picture that stands
for an idea. Love, power, and anger are all
ideas that we sometimes think of in terms of
symbols.
For example, a heart can stand for love, a lion
or a sword can represent power, and the color
red or a frowning face can symbolize anger.
Many artists use symbols in their work.
This is a painted wooden statue of Fudô Myô-ô, a Buddhist deity, or god, from
Japan. His name means "Immovable King of Brightness." Fudô Myô-ô guards
the Buddhist faith and helps believers who pray for assistance.

Look carefully at Fudô
Myô-ô -- at his posture,
his face, and his
weapons.
Do you see something
that might be a symbol
of his role as guardian
or of any special powers
he might have?
The Sword
The sword is a symbol of
wisdom because its sharp
edge can cut through
ignorance and destroy evil,
both of which interfere with
the attainment of
enlightenment for Buddhists.
The base of the sword has
four prongs which form a
shape known as a
thunderbolt and symbolize
unshakable power.
The Lasso
The lasso is a
symbol of protection.
With this lasso, Fudô
Myô-ô can tie up evil
creatures, or he can
catch and lead
believers toward
enlightenment.
The Rock Base
The base takes the
shape of rocks, hard
and unmoving
objects that
symbolize Fudô's
determination to
guard the Buddhist
faith.
The Hair and Face
Fudo’s hair was once painted red.
In addition, a red, flame-shaped
halo once stood behind this
statue.
Red is a symbol of anger and of
fire. It represents Fudô's battle to
destroy evil—not only does he feel
wrath against enemies, he also
wishes them to be consumed the
way fire consumes.
Fudo frowns and clenches his
fangs, and this expression
symbolizes his determination to
guard the Buddhist faith from evil.
One of his eyes looks up and the
other looks down; this is a symbol
of Fudô's watchfulness as he
guards both heaven and earth.
Other Common or
Well-Known Symbols
• A snake is often a symbol
of evil
• White is often a symbol of
innocence.
• Many colors have symbolic
meaning.
Where They Appear
• Harry Potter (it’s not just a
coincidence that Slytherin, the
house who’s symbol is a snake,
is the evil house.
• The Bible – Book of Genesis
(the devil comes to tempt Eve in
the form of a snake.
• Young girls wear white to their
confirmations and first
communions as a symbol of
their lack of sin.
How do I know it’s symbolic?
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Look at how often a character or object in mentioned in the
literature – if it is mentioned often, it is probably important.
Look at how much detail is used in describing an object.
This tells you that the writer wants you to infer something
about a particular object.
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.
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.
Look to others. There is nothing wrong in reading critical
essays or talking with more experienced readers to discover
the symbolic meaning in a piece. With experience, finding
symbols will become easier.
Let’s look at some symbols:
Many symbols are
universal (which means
that they mean the same
thing to almost
everyone)
This is a symbol of. . . .
Peace
Other Common Symbols
Remember:
To become a symbol, a person, place or object
only has to be recognized by a significant
number of people as having a specific
meaning.
Some symbols may even have meaning for only
you.