Lotf symbolism
Transcript of Lotf symbolism
Literature’s Links:
Defining “Symbol”
an object that stands for itself and a greater idea;
it creates a direct, meaningful link between…
a specific object, scene, character, or
action
abstract ideas, values, persons or ways of
life
Sign vs. Symbol
SIGN SYMBOL
• an object that is taken literally
• one meaning
• an object that can be taken
both literally and figuratively
• it is what it is, and something
more
• links one noun to another
Interpreting Symbols
A symbol can have a variety meanings…
1. PERSONAL: a meaning uniquely associated with our experiences
2. CONTEXTUAL: a private meaning created by an author
3. CULTURAL: a meaning uniquely influenced by our current culture
(ex: dogs represent faithfulness in China, but impurity in Indian/South Asian cultures)
…and…
4. UNIVERSAL: a meaning that is given to a thing by most people and cultures
(ex: lions suggest deity, power and courage in many cultures)
NOTE: these may be hard to discern because in order to discover these, you have to put aside your own personal and cultural lenses (i.e. your attachment to your soft,
loveable, stuffed lion, Somba).
fire
Nazi cruelty
Contextual Symbols: Night
night/darkness
absence of God
fire
hope for rescue/ connection to
civilization
Contextual Symbols: Lord of the Flies
night/darkness
fear
American flag
freedom
Cultural Symbol
Job well done
Cultural Symbol
Socialism
America Soviet Union
owl
wisdom
Universal Symbol
GREEN
• jealousy
• environmentally conscious
• growth
• comfort
• renewal
• life
• youth
• open
• security
BLUE
• sadness
• open
• calm
• solitude
• reflection
• truth
• goodness
• cold
• depth
Spotting a Symbol• Look for:
▫ Repeated colors or
objects
• Unusual character
names.
• Objects that have
cultural/universal
meaning—
Christmas tree, owl,
flags.
Emphasize key ideas or themes
• Shakespeare uses poison to
symbolize the human
tendency to take something
good (i.e. life) and destroy it.
• Emphasizes the way the
Montagues and Capulets
hatred poisons Romeo and
Juliet’s love.
Stress Plot
• A storm can represent
impending trouble, such
as in Chapter 9 of Lord
of the Flies.
• The death of Candy’s dog
in Of Mice and Men
foreshadows the death of
Lenny, stresses the death
of innocence.
Insight into Characters
• In Taming of the Shrew,
Petrucio’s wedding costume
symbolizes his control over
Kate.
• She has no choice but to
marry him, even though he
looks like a clown, showing his
authority from the start.
A Note on Interpretation:
A piece of writing will always mean more than a writer intended because of personal associations. You may not understand all of the contextual symbols an author uses, but might get meaning out of something the author never planned.
We can derive meaning from the symbol itself, but can also make inferences based on how a universal symbol is exhibited or used.
(ex: Universally, water represents life and purity, so how we might interpret the use of a
Polluted river in a story?)