What Is a Symbol A symbol is an

What Is a Symbol? A symbol is an ordinary object, event, person, or animal to which we have attached a special meaning. [End of Section]

Where Do We Get Symbols? Public symbols • have been inherited, or handed down over time • are widely known • show up in art and literature Note

Where Do We Get Symbols? Invented symbols • come about when writers make a character, object, or event stand for some human concern • sometimes become well known and gain the status of public symbol [End of Section]

Symbols in Literature Writers use symbols to • suggest layers of meaning that a simple, literal statement could never convey • speak more powerfully to the reader’s emotions and imagination • make their stories rich and memorable

Where Do We Get Symbols? Note Different cultures may attach different meanings to some symbols. • For example, the symbolic meanings of colors are not universal.

Allegory—a story in which characters, setting, and actions stand for something beyond themselves, such as • abstract ideas • moral qualities • historical figures or events

Allegory Allegories • can be read on two levels: literal and symbolic • are often intended to teach a moral lesson or make a comment about goodness and vice

Allegory Characters and places in allegories often have names that reveal their symbolic significance: Characters Places Death Vanity Good Deeds Ignorance Celestial City Vanity Fair Hill of Difficulty Valley of Fear

Allegory Literal meaning • the story that takes place on the surface • uses interesting characters and plot to hold the reader’s attention Symbolic, or allegorical, meaning • the story that takes place beneath the surface • uses characters and events to represent ideas such as love, freedom, evil, or goodness