Symbolism in Literature What could a lock symbolize

Symbolism in Literature (What could a lock symbolize? ? ) Would the fact that it was locked or unlocked change you answer?

What is a SYMBOL? Symbol: A person, place or object that represents something greater or beyond itself. A symbol allows people to communicate beyond the limits of language

What do these symbols represent? Connotation is the emotional and imaginative association Denotation is the strict/straightforward dictionary meaning

Where Do Symbols Come From? ¨ Symbols can be inherited or invented ¨ The most familiar symbols have been inherited, meaning, they have been handed down over time

¨ For example: no one ¨ The lion became a public really knows who first thought of using a lion as a symbol of power, courage and domination ¨ Once these qualities were associated with the animal, images of lions appeared on flags, banners, coats of arms and castle walls symbol that shows up in art and literature, even today! ¨ Can you think of some examples of how lions are used as a symbol of courage and power?

Where else do symbols come from? Symbols can also be invented. Writers often take a new object, What is the symbol for our school? character, or event and make it the embodiment of some human concern. Some invented symbols in literature have become so widely known that they often have gained the status of public symbols. For example: Peter Pan is a symbol for eternal childhood

Symbols are a form of archetype and can be: ¨ Personal = having meaning for an individual which may or may not be consistent with others ¨ Cultural = having common meaning with a societal/ethnic/cultural group ¨ Universal = having common meaning to all societies, centuries, ethnic, racial, or religious groups

How might the following symbol be personal, cultural, AND universal?

Why Create Symbols? ¨ ¨ ¨ You may ask why writers don’t just come right out and 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

In the short story Marigolds, a poor woman has no beauty in her world except the dazzling marigolds she plants around her ramshackle house. The children in the story, who are as poor as the old woman, hate the flowers and all that they stand for, In a moment of thoughtless hatred and violence, one girl destroys all the bright flowers.

¨ While the flowers are REAL flowers in the story, we also get the sense that they symbolize something else, something larger than the flowers themselves… What do you think the marigolds stand for?

¨ Some readers might think they symbolize hope and beauty and that the children are so angry about their poverty that they want to destroy anything that expresses the beauty of another world. ¨ Other readers will have different ideas about what the marigolds stand for, but most will agree that the marigolds work on more than just a literal level in the story.

¨ You may not be able to articulate fully what a certain symbol means, but you will always find that the symbol, if it is powerful and well chosen, will speak forcefully to your emotions and to your imagination. ¨ You may also find that you will remember and think about the symbol long after you have forgotten other parts.

Can the symbolic meaning of an object change based on personal significance? Billionaire vs. Beggar?

Can the symbolic meaning of an object change based on personal significance? Proud Citizen vs. Terrorist?

Choose a well known religious, national, or cultural symbol. Write a 5 sentence paragraph analyzing its meaning. Include the standard meaning, as well as your personal interpretation of the symbol. Could someone else feel differently about the same symbol? Explain!