Symbolism

A slideshow for introducing students to symbolism. Credit to Lfissel for several of the slides.

1. Symbolism
Meanings beyond the obviousMeanings beyond the obvious

2. A symbol is…
an object that stands for itself and a
greater idea.
We see symbols every day…

3. PART 1: HOW MANY SYMBOLS CAN YOU ASSOCIATE WITH
UNIVERSAL, ABSTRACT IDEAS OR VALUES??
HINT: Don’t limit yourselves to objects, think also about shapes and colors or
just parts of a picture

4. In literature, symbolism…
creates a direct, meaningful link
between…
a specific object, scene, character, or action
and
abstract ideas, values, persons or ways of life.

5. Symbolism is be 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.

6. Draw attention to the plot:
A walk into a tunnel – or change from
day to night – could show movement
from good to evil, or that something bad
is coming…
A storm at a
critical moment
can represent the
intense emotion
and trouble…
And dawn may show
the end of conflict, the
“start of a new day.”

7. And give insights into characters:
In Poe’s “Telltale Heart,”
the sound of the beating
heart represents the
man’s guilt…
…a character’s
name may tell you
something about
them, in “The
Lottery” Mr. Graves
has authority over
the killing…… and a character’s
appearance can be symbolic
– in Cask of Amontillado,
Fortunato wears a fool’s
costume – and he is, in fact,
a fool for trusting the
narrator.

8. How can you spot a symbol?
There’s no one way, but some things to look
for are:
Colors or objects that are used repeatedly: if
it’s mentioned often, it’s probably important
Unusual character names
Objects / creatures that have cultural
meanings (lions = strength, owls = wisdom,
etc.)

9. One warning…
Many “symbols” are personal interpretations – and
unintended by the author!

Consider this dialogue from Peanuts:
Lucy:
“Do you always
have the
people’s hands
behind their
back to
symbolize your
shyness?”

So… don’t go crazy with this stuff! It’s all open to interpretation…
Charlie Brown:
“No, I just don’t know
how to draw hands.”

10. What do these images symbolize?

11. And these…

12. And these…

13. The end. 