Joseph Kelly Symbols

These conventions are established and internalized arbitrarily by individuals, societies, and cultures. We can observe this situation in different interpretations of same stories. For instance, in ‘Rocking Horse Winner’, Paul’s rocking horse can be perceived as a symbol of his troubles over sexuality or be seen as an analogy since Paul fails to gain his mother’s love despite all his effort like the rocking horse remaining in the same place regardless of the rider’s effort. However, as mentioned in class, for Ray Bradbury it may be just symbolizing an autistic child rocking back and forth. Hence, the meaning of a symbol depends on the reader’s point of view.

It is a mass of the collected gray areas of, “What could this be?” Foster asserts that it is impossible to pin down a single meaning for a given symbol; this is true even in clear-cut cases, though meaning can be very similar from case to case. Symbolism must not be confused with allegory. Allegories are meant to convey one direct message. Allegories are there to lead you to one sentient thought at its end.

As mentioned in How to Read Literature Like a Professor, symbols can have various interpretations which adds depth to the

One chapter in Thomas C. Foster’s book How to Read Literature Like a Professor that were not only extremely challenging, but was also enlightening and surprisingly engaging was Chapter 12: “Is That a Symbol?” In this chapter, Foster states that “So some symbols do have a relatively limited range of meanings, but in general a symbol can’t be reduced to standing for only one thing” (Foster, 105). This conveys that, generally, symbols have different symbolic meanings even though some symbols may have a very limited range of meanings. Essentially, this means that symbols in literature often have different symbolic meanings. The idea mentioned above is upheld by Cormac McCarthy’s book All the Pretty Horses, as the horses in the book are symbolic

A symbol, a word by definition means, a material object representing something immaterial. The character Jack Merridew, in Lord of The Flies symbolizes chaos, insanity, and ego. In Lord of The Flies Jack Merridew symbolizes chaos by demanding, “’ We want meat’” (51).

Also a symbol can mean something in real life. Could be a person or an object. In this story there were a lot of different symbols with different

What is a symbol of a story? A symbol is something that stands for something else. Also it can contain several layers of meanings that stand for, or represent, something else. Symbol is using an object or action that has a deeper meaning for something more than its literal meaning. The story The Glass Castle contains a lot of different types of symbolic meanings.

Synthesis Essay A symbol is a thing that represent or stand for itself or something beyond itself as well. A symbol can be a color, a book, or a person. For example, Melissa de la Cruz used symbols when she stated that “Black is the color of night. White is the true color of death.”

Symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character. In Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson uses literary devices to help the reader better understand Melinda’s personal changes and growth. Trees, lips, and coldness are all symbolically used to represent the changes of Melinda. Throughout the novel, trees play a big part in symbolizing Melinda. Melinda is constantly drawing and relating to trees in the book.

He eventually moves to Alaska and wants to run the Iditarod. He tells his stories and explains his relationships with the dogs. He explains the struggles using the literary concepts of symbols, theme, and metaphors to expand the reader’s understanding or the text. Symbol is an object representing something else. It is a concept or idea that uses something else to show it.

Literary Term: Symbol Symbol: A symbol is an object, person, or event that has another meaning other than its own to represent an idea, object, or connection Example: “Yes, I did see this, with my own eyes… children thrown into the flames” (32). Wiesel, Night Function: Context: In Night by Elie Wiesel, Eliezer’s family had arrived in the Auschwitz concentration camp, where Eliezer was separated from his family and was only left with his father.

Anything in a novel can be represented as a symbol. Symbols are a representation of an item through an abstract concept. Surprisingly, a Union Stockyard could also be a symbol; The fictional Packingtown reveals many attributes about the real life Packingtown in the course of The Jungle. In The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, Sinclair uses Packingtown to symbolize the corrupt government, the working class, and the condition of the United States.

Symbolism is an artistic expression used in writing when one thing represents another. Shakur uses two embedded symbols in his poem; concrete and a rose. The concrete in which the rose cultivates is not a symbol that

“Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.” Symbols can add a deeper meaning than just an object itself that the author is trying to make. Symbols can also foreshadow what is yet to come. The audience can interpret a symbol in many ways it depends on their experience. In Southside Chicago the Younger family is struggling to have hope as they are always facing society.

Symbolism in general is the building blocks to all sources of literature and can shape a piece of writing in many ways. Symbols in general can portray what something or someone represents, giving a deeper and metaphorical meaning to a symbol. Symbolism is often used within poetry, literature, music, or even art. This is how an author conveys a different meaning to the audience. For example artists may use the color “red” not only because of the color theory, but to convey love, passion, and maybe even health.