Symbolism Essays (Examples)

Symbolism in the Hairy Ape

The Hairy Ape is an expressionist play by Eugene O'Neill and was produced and published in 1922. It is a symbolic work that deals with the themes of social alienation and search for identity in the presence of technological progress (Cardullo 258). The play speaks to the industrialization that was taking place during that era. In an expressionistic play, the number of characters is kept minimal and attention is focused on a central figure with other supporting characters included but not individualized or fully developed. They serve merely as background voices to help highlight the central character's conflict. Most characters are simply representative types or members of groups and symbolic of class structures in society.

Yank, the central character and hero of The Hairy Ape, is a representative of modern workers who felt socially alienated and questioned their purpose and position in larger society. O'Neil…

The broken unicorn is the concrete image of their broken relationship - everything that Laura pins her hopes on but nothing in reality. Laura cannot recognize that she is special; she has the ability to make other people feel better. She tells Jim after he breaks the little figure, "It doesn't matter. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise" (Williams 1014). Her scene with Jim ends in a hopeful kiss that is filled with promise, but that is just another fleeting image (Timpane). In reality, he is engaged, and a relationship with Laura is impossible.

Williams writing can by lyrical and full of imagery, as critic Bloom notes, "He takes colloquial speech, often the colloquial speech of the South, and through a keen ear for its rhythms and patterns, its imagery and symbolism, lifts it to the level of poetry" (Bloom 67- 68). For example, Amanda, when telling her story about…

It is only with this understanding that the needless sacrifice can end.

Shirley Jackson presents a myriad of symbols in "The Lottery." The title of the story, the procedure of the lottery, the names of the characters, and the people that participate in the lottery and those that do not are all symbols or can be interpreted as such. These symbols also indicate different views of sacrifice.

Sacrifice is present in many forms using the symbols of this story. Traditional sacrifice, which Jackson symbolically criticizes as outdated is represented through the tradition of the lottery and the worn out black box. Religious sacrifice is demonstrated by the symbols alluding to Christianity and elements of Islamic culture. Sacrifice as was present in the Day of Atonement lottery is symbolized through the procedure of the lottery in the story. Notions of sacrifice including the use of a pure person and the use…

Other characters serve as more direct and specific symbols in the story. Mrs. Mercer, the guest of the narrator's aunt on the evening that the narrator finally manages to get to the bazaar, is one such character. She, like the narrator, has been waiting for the narrator's uncle to return, and both expected him much earlier than he eventually appears. Mrs. Mercer, in fact -- a "garrulous woman, a pawnbroker's widow," as she is described -- eventually leaves, not wanting to be out at night. The freedom that this otherwise pathetic-seeming woman enjoys heightens the frustration that the narrator himself feels while waiting for his uncle, and symbolizes the workings of the adult world that completely ignore and discount the narrator's own feelings due to his youth. His sexual frustration is in part due to the lack of importance and adequacy he feels at the hands of the adults in…

Symbolism plays a major role in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's "Clothes," Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal," and in Colette's "The Hand." In "Clothes," the narrator is a woman in India from a traditional Bengali family. Her parents go through a lot of trouble to arrange a good marriage for her, to an Indian man who now lives in the United States. The husband-to-be flies all the way to India to meet the narrator, who dresses for her bride viewing. hat she wears and how she dresses become powerful symbols of cultural and personal identity, also representing specific stages of life. In "The Hand," the narrator is a woman who was recently married to someone she barely knows, as if it were an arranged marriage. hile she is in bed as her husband sleeps, the narrator contemplates her life. Her thoughts shift to issues related to gender roles through the symbolism of her…

In a metaphorical way, this image is transposed on the image of the woman "showing her teeth." She responds with the symbolic implications that she too is living in a sate of fear and resentment.

The reality that Elisa aspires to is again conveyed through the imagery and symbolic of a longing for a better existence. This can be seen when she whispers, "That's a bright direction. There's a glowing there." (DiYanni 464/465) the imagery refers to some other more amenable reality and relates to the underlying feeling that all is not as it should be in her life. This also relates to the images of possibility and hope at the start of the story; for example, "...she looked toward the river road where the willow-line was still yellow with frosted leaves so that under the high grey fog they seemed a thin band of sunshine. This was the only…

Wyche agrees with this notion, adding that the station's position "between two sets of rails, whose significance lies 'in their figurative implications' (Renner qtd in Wyche 34), and between two contrasting landscapes that symbolize the couple's options" (Wyche). One side of the tracks, the landscape gives the couple the scene of the hills and the valley and on the other side of the tracks trees and grain flourish on the banks of the river. This scene "illustrates Jig's choice 'between sterility and fertility'" (O'Brien qtd. In Wyche 19). Johnston writes that the description of the Ebro valley "embodies the poles of the conflict too: It is both barren and fruitful. On the side which they sit facing, there are no trees and no shade, and in the distance the country is brown and dry; on the other side of the valley, there are 'fields of grain and trees along the…

All of this was represented in the figure of Daisy Miller. On the other hand, James also perceived this American entity as being and ugly American' who was uncultured, crude, ego-centered, and grasping. andolph, Daisy's younger broth, perfectly epitomizes this other allusion.

Other symbolisms appear in the Coliseum where the place itself is symbolic of the ruins of a decadent empire -- again the symbolism of a meaningless, drift less life. Famed for centuries of martyrdom and meaningless cruelty and barbarity as site of gladiatorial games, the Coliseum is fitting scene for Daisy's young life to have met its abrupt end.

Daisy, herself, may be said to have been a symbol of martyred innocence, reminiscent of the Christian (and other) martyrs brutalized in that spot.

Interwoven in the scene is Winterbourne's act of analogically throwing Daisy to the lions (as the omans did their victims long ago) as witnessed when…

It also has a "Merton College Library" (93) inside along with period bedrooms were "swathed in rose and lavender silk and vivid with new flowers" (93). Nick tells us that the house has "bathrooms with sunken baths" (93) and Gatsby a private apartment in the house complete with a "bedroom and a bath, and an Adam study" (93). The bathroom even has a toilet seat of "pure dull gold" (94). Gatsby's tailor lives in England and "sends over a selection of things at the beginning of each season, spring and fall" (94). All of this extravagance symbolizes a total lack of regard for anything but the here and now. Gatsby, a single man, lives in a home too large for him and he still has his own apartment in the home. He has a staff that waits on him and he goes to great lengths to keep his home beautiful…

"The drowned face always staring," and "the drowned face sleeps with open eyes" are lines in Rich's poem that correspond with the symbol of drowning as death in Crane's "The Open Boat." The symbol of drowning is that of respect for nature and especially for the power of the ocean over human life.

Darkness is another symbol shared in common by these two works of literature. Although Rich's poem has a more optimistic tone than Crane's short story, both works show how the sea is not just about the power to take a person's breath away; the sea also takes away all light from human life. However, this is where "The Open Boat" and "Diving into the reck" start to differ. In "The Open Boat," the darkness of the sea consumes the characters. Some of the men die due to their rough encounter with the sea. In "Diving into the…

These aren't real apples of course, they are symbolic of the tasks he had yet to complete, the poems he had yet to write, but he is overwhelmed by these possibilities. "For I have had too much/of apple-picking: I am overtired/of the great harvest I myself desired" (27-9). His hyperbolic description of "ten thousand" (that's one million) apples to touch confirms that he is completely overwhelmed by what was left undone. One million apples left unpicked. One million poems left unwritten. One million possibilities that will never come to fruition.

The fruit was not all good -- not all the words of the poems were worth keeping, perhaps, and those that were edited out "struck the earth…went surely to the cider-apple heap/as of no worth" (33, 35-6). Cider is not worthless, however, and the apples that fall to the ground are all part of the cycle of life and work.…

Steinbeck utilizes the imagery to reinforce the mood of Elisa and the tone of her marriage.

Symbolism is also significant to understand the underlying issues of the Allen couple. The most compelling symbol in the story is the chrysanthemums, serving as the children Elisa does not have. It is obvious how she care for the plants that they are more to her than just plants; they are the creations that she gives back to the world. She cares for the in an extraordinary way, much like a parent would care for a child. e are told there are "no aphids, no sow bugs or snails or cutworms were there, no sow bugs or snails or cutworms" (1327) in Elisa's garden. e can also tell that she loves her plants because the flowerbed is also tended to with the utmost attention. They are an extension of her and when she gives…

Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne's orks

Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the great nineteenth century masters of American fiction. "The Scarlet Letter" and "Young Goodman Brown" are two Hawthorne works that contain heavy symbolism of sin and immorality.

Hawthorne, being of Puritan heritage, sets his "Scarlet Letter" in the seventeenth-century Puritan settlement of Boston. The protagonist of his story, Hester, is forced to wear the scarlet letter "A" on her breast to symbolize her sin of infidelity, of which resulted in a daughter, Pearl. Then when town officials try to take the child away, a young minister comes to the aid of the mother and child, enabling them to stay together. In this story, man is sinful and moreover, human maladies are essentially punishments from God. Although Hawthorne portrays the young minister as compassionate and just, he also depicts him with physical and psychological symptoms that are taken to represent an…

Symbolism in Poetry

Ruba

Symbols are referents which many people use in order to: (1) describe abstract feelings and concepts into concrete ones, (2) reveal ideas or truths through the use of symbols, (3) used to evoke feelings or ideas through the use of symbolic meanings or simply by (4) representation. Symbolism are used in almost every aspect of people's lives, such as the use of symbols in mathematics, science, anthropology, and other studies relevant to the study of human life. More importantly, the most difficult forms of symbolism are perhaps found in literature, wherein symbols are not bound by a set of rules just like in the study of sciences. Instead, symbols in literature are subjective, and can be interpreted into various meanings.

The concept of symbolism will be discussed in analyzing three popular and well-known symbolist poems: "Correspondences" and "To The Reader" by Charles Baudelaire and "My Familiar…

The symbols seem extreme at first but as we become comfortable with the idea, the symbols make perfect sense.

hile some symbols in Frost's poetry are extreme, others are more subtle. In "Design," the poet uses the smallest of objects to serve as symbols. In addition, he uses them in an unusual manner to make an impact upon the reader. He tells us the spider is white, dimpled, and fat, similar to a chubby baby. The moth is akin to a paper kite. These images a re happy ones that we do not normally associated with death. The moth is rigid, even though it is like silk and the reference makes readers think of the silk lining we find in coffins. The speaker then begins to speak about the "characters of death and blight / Mixed" (Design 4-5) as the "the ingredients of a witches' broth" (7). These symbols of…

The moon in medieval times was used as a symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary -- through whom the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, was born into the world. The Virgin Mary is viewed as spotless, pure, chaste -- characteristics associated with the moon. She is also viewed as a reflection of God. By doing God's will the Virgin Mary is glorified in the Heaven's, always reflecting the light of God. Without the light of God -- represented by the sun, the moon has no power to give light of itself. Therefore, the sun is Grace, and the moon is Mary, through whom Grace flows.

One famous Mexican image is of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who stands upon a crescent moon. The image is supposed to be of miraculous or divine origin, and was used as an impressive tool in the conversion of Central America to the tenets…

On the other hand, the geographical element needs to be discussed as well. Lippi works in Florence during the time of the Medici (and not any Medici, but the one who encouraged and promoted arts the most, Lorenzo de Medici), and not in Rome. As such, he does not fall under the direct jurisdiction of the Pope, but under that of the Medici, which means that he can enjoy a higher degree of liberalism in his works.

Finally, the biographical element has to be accounted for. As a friar, he meets Lucrezia uti, who was a nun at the monastery he was painting at the time. He kidnaps her and has a child with her, painting her in numerous Madonna representations. All things considered, Lippi obviously had no problem as an individual to take risks and contest the establishment, which is also something that can be noticed in several of…

As Old Dudley slips and falls down a couple steps, he reluctantly requires the aid of an African-American resident. In spite of his distaste for the African-American's demeanor, he must accept his help. Sadly, Old Dudley cannot accept the attitude of racial tolerance, as "the pain in his throat [is] all over his face now, leaking out his eyes." In liberal society, people need help from anyone in order to progress as an individual.

The tone of the story is stubborn reluctance. Old Dudley does not want to budge from sitting by the window, and is sick of his daughter's pressure to modernize and stay active. He does not want to lose the past social order, and regrets relying on African-Americans in the first place. For Old Dudley, the geranium is the faded image of the past, or at least an attempt to hold onto something normal. Its crash is…

Often black women were the sole breadwinner for a family devastated by slavery and discrimination. The 'new sexism' that some women playfully indulge in today, laughing with irony at the image of a white, cartoon femininity, is a luxury that black women on the 'front lines' of struggle cannot enjoy (Thomas 2010). As noted by white feminist historian Marilyn Frye: "As a white woman I have certain freedoms and liberties. hen I use them, according to my white woman's judgment, to act on matters of racism, my enterprise reflects strangely on the matrix of options within which it is undertaken" (Frye 1983, p. 110).

The different experiences of black women and white women have often generated different perceived political interests between the two groups. For example, as noted by scholar Ellen DuBois in her book oman Suffrage and omen's Rights, when black men but not black women won the right…

Wright was a wonderful singer, but that after her marriage to Mr. Wright (who by all accounts was a solitary, cold man) her singing ceased -- apparently because he did not like it and did not allow it. This is akin to stifling the singing of a bird -- who could do it? Nonetheless, Mrs. Wright's singing was suppressed. Still, her sewing continued -- careful and conscientious. But if she could not sing, perhaps she could have a bird that could. What the women discover, however, is that apparently the bird that Mrs. Wright purchased to keep her company and to provide some element of warmth in the house had its neck broken by the husband.

Here was a symbolic action: the tyrant despising nature, attempting to control it to his own liking, and wringing its neck when it refused to conform to his own tastes. What Mr. Wright did…

Symbolism in the Road

There is a story for everyman in The Road, which is doubtless a primary reason that the book captured a Pulitzer Prize for Cormac McCarthy in 2007. The story is particularly poignant for readers who are parents as it manifests many of the latent fears parents have regarding their capacity to protect their children in a world that can seem hostile at every turn. The book can be read from a literal point-of-view as a post-apocalyptic story and, indeed, it is that in its classic telling of a journey that takes two protagonists directly through the inescapable threats and horrors.

But McCarthy's poetic language will also be familiar to the reader of William Faulkner, Jack London, or T.S. Eliot, who understands that desolation can stem from the wrestling of the soul as much as the overt battles with the environment or the nihilistic events. For readers…

Music becomes the symbol that changes the brothers. To emphasize the importance of the power of music, Baldwin's narrator cannot grasp what Sonny is speaking about until he sees him play. It is only when he experiences the sound does he finally "get it." Music bridges the chasm that has existed between these brothers for so long and it literally saves their relationship from further darkness and turmoil. Sonny's blues are the very thing that save his life and, whether he realizes it or not, he is one of the lucky ones in that he found a way to escape - if only for a little while.

orks Cited

Baldwin, James. "Sonny's Blues." The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction R.V. Cassill, ed .. Norton and Company. New York: 1981. pp. 22-48.

Champion, Laurie. "Literary Contexts in Short Stories: James Baldwin's 'Sonny's Blues.'" 2006. EBSCO Resource Database. Information Retrieved October 19,…

The comparison is significant because the poet is pointing out that thee emotions do have the ability to destroy humankind just like these powerful forces of nature.

The tone of "Fire and Ice" is significant because of the poet's intention. His understatement, "But if it had to perish twice . . ." (5), indicates that fire has the capacity to destroy quickly just like hate does and destruction by ice would be a slower death, much like the way hate destroys a person soul. Because the poet is writing in first person, he is reinforcing this statement. In other words, experience is the best teacher and he understands that the dangers of hate are far more painful and destructive than the dangers of passion. Passion is more like a comet shooting across the sky; it is connected to a short but very bright existence. Hate, on the other hand, could…

Hooper's wearing of the veil only reinforces this notion. e are all unclean and should be aware of our condition. Hooper believed this and says so on his deathbed when he tells those around him, "On every visage a Black Veil!" (Hawthorne 640) G.A. Santangelo believes that Hawthorne was concerned with a delusional state of innocence in that no one can be innocent in this world "because man has a propensity for evil that musty be understood" (Santangelo 61). No one of this earth can be innocent and failure to recognize this "leads to a childish egotism and an unrealistic ethic which results in a sterile paganism" (61). Hooper makes a choice that isolates him but it is a choice that is "dedicated to a higher purpose" (66). In this sense, he "accepts the darkness, not in pride, but of necessity" (66). This story is tragic, according to Santangelo because…

e see the creative mind at work in "The Fall of the House of Usher" as Poe creates a parallel between the house and Roderick. The suspense with this thriller is heightened with the fact that the narrator is inches from the same fate as Roderick. There is undeniable connection between the two that is never fully disclosed. The narrator looks for logical ways to explain what occurs in the home and he also wishes to find out the reason behind Roderick's agitation. Interestingly, Roderick believes the house is the source of all of his tension, yet he rarely leaves the house. The image of the house sinking dramatizes Roderick's sinking state of mind. In essence, both are experiencing a type of split. The house is sitting upon an unstable foundation and Roderick does not attempt to fool anyone by denying he suffers from a mental disorder that shakes his…

However, there is also danger to the sexuality that lies behind sweetness, as when a girl Sally, marries a marshmallow salesman to escape an abusive father, entering a union that seems as bad as the home she is leaving.

A final symbol of the novel is that of play -- few adult women, except for the insane Ruthie, are seen enjoying themselves over the course of the novel. Girls can play at jump rope and look at clouds, but they worry about how the burdens and cares of an adult life -- like abusive or absent husbands, children, and money worries -- will weigh them down, as their bodies mature. Men are shown playing and gambling, but women must put their own pleasures aside for fathers, husbands, and brothers. Early on in the novel, Esperanza comments how even in her family the boys and the girls tend to separate as…

As he becomes frustrated by onlookers' questions, he shakes the bars of the cage like some wild animal. The artist's cage is literal and figurative in this case. He is confined to his life of suffering and his is a prisoner of it. His psychological cage is just like his physical one. He willingly accepts both. He was never appreciated and this led to even more dissatisfaction. The artist can find no peace within and no appreciated from without. People walked by him without glancing his way. Soon they forget about him and leave him for dead. The artist believes he cheated the world because he never achieved success but in actuality, it was the world that cheated him by treating him as nothing more than an exhibition on the way to the "excitements of the menagerie" (396). He likes the cage and the suffering it brings because he feels…

He hates what he has become and what he does. He confesses that he secretly roots for the Burmese and roots against "their oppressors (335). He admits he is "stuck between my hatred of the empire I served and my rage against the evil-spirited little beasts who tried to make my job impossible" (335). He is like those in oppression in that he is not free to do what he actually wants to do. His reputation is on the line and he acts to defend it. A man in his position "mustn't be frightened in front of 'natives'" (339), he writes even though he knows that in order to impress those natives, he must act of line with his conscious. He does the "right thing" (340) according to the law he did also killed the elephant "solely to avoid looking like a fool" (340). Asker asserts that wrapped within the…

I should wish her to be brought up in a manner suiting her prospects," continued my benefactress; "to be made useful, to be kept humble: as for the vacations, she will, with your permission, spend them always at Lowood." (Bronte, 1922, p. 28)

The young girl was to be defined by her future prospects, being meager, as she was an orphan with little income, she was to be taught an even more extreme form of humility because she would have to use her charm alone to get a good match or secure a position as a governess or ladies maid. There was little love in her early years, whether with her hostile relatives or in her school. As any reader would find it was this poor disposition she gained from her early life that she had to overcome to gain her match.

Just as women were ideally brought up by…

Introduction

Edgar Allen Poe was a 19th century American author who wrote gothic horror stories (as well as gothic poetry). Here, he delivers his theme that no one escapes death in his short story “Masque of the Red Death” through symbolism, setting, and narration. The colors of the room serve as symbols of life, with the red room serving as a symbol of blood and of the horror that awaits the revelers as the plague that they think they have escaped makes its way in to their party. The setting is also important. It is a party held in an abbey, secluded from the rest of the country, and the people are celebrating while those outside are dying. There is a distinct sense of separation and division between those at the masque and those who are not part of the elite crowd, the Prince’s friends. The narration of the story…

This makes him question "heaven above him" (Hawthorne 594). hile he does decide to take a stand against what he sees in the forest, it is too late because what he has seen has already changed him. Faith's pink ribbon flickering is important because it represents his wife and his faith, which he has seemingly lost in one night. e read that that are simply "gone" (595). Goodman is radically transformed by what he believes took place in the forest and while it was something he thought he could handle and something he thought he wanted to know, he was deadly wrong but there was not way for him to go back and reverse events. Like Louise, he is changed but not in a good way.

Symbolism is significant to each story as well. In "The Story of an Hour," the house and the window are important to Louise's development…

This occurrence adds symbolism to the ending by providing us with reassurance of the story's theme that despite any precaution taken, death is the one thing that cannot be planned for.

2.)

Symbolism is highly present in Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path." It is this strong symbolism that defines what "A Worn Path" grew to represent. This story may be interpreted in many ways, but in the end, it all comes down to the theme of self-sacrifice despite the hardships presented. Phoenix sacrifices her sanity, her life, and demonstrates utter determination when she is on her path to get medicine for her dying grandson. The items that demonstrate this symbolism go far beyond individual interpretation.

The character's name itself provides great symbolism to relate to the theme of the story. "Phoenix" represents an Egyptian bird that symbolizes resurrection. Throughout the entire story, Phoenix is her grandson's savior. She needs to…

O'Connor

"Everything That Rises Must Converge": An Analysis of hat the Critics Say

Flannery O'Connor's "Everything That Rises Must Converge" is a short story filled with symbols of emptiness and darkness. Paul Elie observes that "the symbolism is 'the coin of the realm, which has the face worn off of it'" (323). David Allen hite suggests that the story's theme is concerned with intellectual pride and that the penny serves as a symbol of charity, now nowhere to be found in the city -- a point that is reflected in the darkness of the buildings where no lights shine (and to which Julian turns hopelessly for help at the end of the story). John F. McCarthy views Julian as a character who is more or less a symbol of arrogance (1144), and O'Connor herself viewed her creation as one predominantly concerned with charity and the lack thereof -- symbolized, of…

This is the moment when Victor Frankenstein uncovers the secret that will allow him to create his "monster," and it is one of the most important parts of this novel. Victor has discovered something other scientists have never dreamed of, and the brilliant light symbolizes this knowledge and discovery. Throughout the novel, Shelley continues to use light to show Victor's growing knowledge and understanding, there is always a brilliant light when something important or amazing is about to occur.

Shelley's use of light as a symbol offers some kind of hope to the reader, and it symbolizes what seems to be good in the novel. Poe uses light differently, to highlight strange and bewildering occurrences that are almost always climatic and have to do with the outcome of the story. Poe's light is the light of lightening storms, blood-red moons, and fiery destruction, while Shelley's is the light of creation…

symbolism, style, tone, setting and perspective in this short story. demonstrated by comparing works of Kate hopin, the "Story of an Hour" and "A Respectable Woman" and "Regret" Using these stories the writer examines how emotions and events are depicted with the positive and negative impacts of marriage and how this may be interpreted by a reader. The bibliography cites Four Sources

Kate hopin: woman out of her time.

Literature is an art form that can be seen as both representative and critical of society. When we consider historical texts they can tell us a great deal about the culture and expectations that may have been prevalent in that society.

In the short story Regret by Kate hopin we see the development of an attitude and the way that it was depicted with different layers to how it affects a person. However, it is the human condition and the deep…

Symbolism in evelation: The Woman in evelation 12

The Woman in evelation 12: Symbolism

The book of evelations is regarded as one of the most difficult books to interpret. Different interpretations have been put forth, with some arguing that the events prophesied therein came to pass with the destruction of Jerusalem, and others arguing that the events are yet to be actualized. This text examines chapter 12 of the book of evelation and analyzes how the imagery presented therein has been interpreted under different approaches.

The Woman in the Wilderness: evelation Chapter 12

Scholars differ on whether what is being unveiled in evelations is the future or the past, and whether the symbols are tied to specific historical events in the past. These opposing views give rise to the three different interpretation approaches for the book of evelation: the preterits approach, the futurist approach and the idealist approach. Preterits subscribe…

"She relaxed limply in the seat. "Oh, no. No. I don't want to go. I'm sure I don't." Her face was turned away from him. "It will be enough if we can have wine. It will be plenty." She turned up her coat collar so he could not see that she was crying weakly -- like an old woman" (Steinbeck).

There are a number of fairly eminent points to be made about this quotation -- the first of which is that Allen's husband has taken her away from her source of power -- her garden. Away from that source, she is described by imagery that is rather enervating and in opposition to the vivacity she previously personified. The imagery of her sitting "limply" and weeping "weakly" is strongly contrasted with the images of her cutting through plants and powerfully gripping handfuls of earth -- which symbolizes the source of her…

There is no question that the letter has darkened her future. hen Hester and Dimmesdale are in the forest with Pearl, with see that light is associated with love and hope. e are told, "No golden light had ever been so precious as the gloom of this dark forest . . .Here seen only by her eyes, Arthur Dimmesdale, false to God and man, might be, for one moment true" (188). Goodness and light are associated with Pearl. e read that she is "very brightest little jet of flame that ever danced upon the earth" (95). In contrast, Chillingworth is associated with darkness. One of the most compelling scenes that demonstrates this is at the conclusion of the novel when we are told about the change that had taken place. Chillingworth looses his strength and energy and shriveled away, "like an uprooted weed that lies wilting in the sun" (251).…

Jesus fulfill symbolism underly

Jesus fulfills the symbolism apparent in the Feast of Tabernacles in many different ways, although most of these ways are related to one another. During this feast, Jesus was able to feed 500 people (who had gathered for the upcoming Passover feast) while only utilizing the substance of two fish and five relatively diminutive loaves of bread. There is important symbolism in this fact, which is related to nourishment. In a literal sense, Jesus was able to feed the bodies of this great number of people. In a figurative sense, however, he was providing spiritual nourishment, since he was the son of Christ (a fact which would soon become apparent after his ensuing crucifixion and resurrection) (Musser, 2013). Thus, this action symbolizes the fact that believing in and following Christ will lead to spiritual fulfillment.

Jesus was able to fulfill this symbolism by providing spiritual nourishment…

Paradoxically, based on the outcome of the story, it can be argued that the snake in the crest is not poisonous or else Fortunato's "bite" would have had more severe consequences on Montressor; however, the story ends with Montressor getting away in Fortunato's murder.

Symbolic foreshadowing can also be seen in the conversation about masons between Montressor and Fortunato. As Fortunato questions Montressor about being a mason, Montressor assures his victim that he is and pulls out a trowel "from beneath the folds of [his] roquelaire" (277). Ironically, Fortunato is asking if Montressor is a Freemason and not a mason by trade. Furthermore, Montressor's assertion that he is a mason also hints at how he will carry out his revenge.

Lastly, symbolism and irony are evident in the characters' names. Montressor's name can be loosely translated into my treasure, which can refer to the type of slight that was committed…

The moment when the line first cut into his hands in similar to the one when Christ's hands were nailed to the cross. Most readers are likely to make a connection between the two images at this point as the stigmata is an element which is present in both Santiago and in Christ.

Hemingway himself wants readers to be certain that the injured hand is an essential factor working as support to the comparison made between Christ and Santiago. The "Ay" exclamation also reinforces this belief. "There is no translation for this word and perhaps it is just a noise such a man might make, involuntarily, feeling the nail go through his hands and into the wood" (Hemingway, 1984, p. 82). Both the sufferings experienced by Christ and by Santiago have been made so that life will go on in peace.

Santiago stands as a living martyr (if such a…

Biblical Interpretation

One of the major concepts discussed in the Bible is Johnannie symbolism. This is when various ideas are used to highlight Christ's messages to everyone. These actions are built upon, by illustrating those concepts God finds to be most important, in the way humankind should live. The story of the Samaritan woman is the classic examples of this. It offers insights of John's interpretations of various events and how they are connected with each other. To fully understand what is happening requires carefully examining this example and its relationship with marriage / the original order of creation. Together, these different elements will illustrate the significance of key Johnannie ideas in conjunction with theological doctrine. (Muropa, 2012)

The story of the Samaritan woman is linked with an experience she had with Christ. This occurred, when he was resting at a well alone and his disciples went out to find…

symbolism in literature. Author Nathan Hawthorne used many symbolism opportunities in his works the House of Seven Gables. The writer of this paper explores the symbolism and comments on its effectiveness.

HOUSE OF SEVEN GABLES

Throughout history, the authors of literary works have used symbolism to develop a story or create an understanding. Many of the classics are filled with symbolism, and it is that very symbolism that causes the story to stick in the reader's mind and heart and make the story a classic. In The House of Seven Gables the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne displayed a particularly subtle talent at lacing the story with symbolism for the reader to stumble upon in his journey. Through the use of symbols, we are given the opportunity to view many aspects of the story from a third vantage point, and one that makes it clear for us to understand. The symbolism in…

The almanac symbolizes the passing of time or life. As a result, it cannot help but point to death and bring forth tears. e see this alluded to with the child's drawing, as the man wears "tear like buttons" (29), symbolizing all that has passed. The almanac is crying but those tears are also nourishing in that they are preparing the child for the next phase in her life. The recurring tears point to the fact that death is not far for the grandmother. Here we see death hiding about in almost every aspect of the daily activities of life, reminding us that it is always around the corner.

In "A Certain Lady," Dorothy Parker utilizes symbolism to make an ironic point. The symbols in this poem point to the traditional ones we associate with love and lovers. The poet tells her lover that she will "drink your rushing words…

Catherine, meanwhile, is drawn to warmth, symbolized by the fire in the room at the time she is telling her father of Mr. Townsend. She (or perhaps the narrator; it is left ambiguous) even notes that the fire is warmer than her father's eyes and fixed smile, and finds the relief, comfort, and perhaps even the familiarity in the fire that she cannot find in her father or in his reaction to her announcement, which is not well received. Catherine is as much a creature of the heart as Dr. Sloper is of the mind, and while his evening paper is the object in the room with which he is shown to have a connection, for Catherine it is the fire. Their different temperaments are also clearly visible in their summations of Mr. Townsend's character; Dr. Sloper sees the calculation of his past as his "chief feature," while Catherine sees…

KAFKA'S METAMORPHOSIS

THE USE of SYMOLISM in FRANZ KAFKA'S

"THE METAMORPHOSIS"

According to Nahum N. Glatzer, philosopher Albert Camus once said that "the whole of Kafka's art consists in compelling the reader to re-read him," and since the interpretations of Kafka are many, this inevitably leads to a return to the story itself "in the hope of finding guidance from within" (35). This internal "guidance" is related to many elements of fiction, such as metaphor, characterization, plot and theme, yet with a single reading of Kafka's the Metamorphosis, written during late November and early December of 1912 and published in October of 1915, one can easily recognize that the use of symbolism is the dominant trait and "guidance" for the reader, due to Kafka's extraordinary ability to transcend reality and create a world that could only exist in the realms of the supernatural or the human subconscious mind.

Essayist Eliseo…

Clothes

Do Clothes Make the Woman?

Clothes, Silence, and Rebirth in Chitra B. Divakaruni's short story entitled "Clothes"

Chitra B. Divakaruni's short story entitled "Clothes" begins in India and ends in the Indian community of America. However, Divakaruni clearly hopes to impart in the readers' mind a more universal lesson than one confined to the central protagonist Sumita's immediate cultural context, despite the many details present in the tale that are particular to the Indian community Divakaruni chronicles. Rather, the main idea of "Clothes" is how clothes symbolize the status of women, and specifically how women's visual rather than verbal display defines female status in traditional and modern contexts. The author first uses the cultural symbolism of clothing in a wedding setting to demonstrate specifically how women in India are seen as visual displays, rather than thinking human beings. Secondly, the author uses the literary symbolism of Sumita biting her…

The wall, serving as a painful and vivid reminder of the war, pulls the speaker back to the war. e can almost see the reflection of this man fading into the granite as his memories flood his mind. The wall and the memory of war are so powerful that the speaker must turn his head away and resist the urge to break down in tears. The wall as a symbol of the war is gripping and dramatic and helps the speaker get his point across.

The symbolism of the wall as war reinforces the poet's somber tone of the poem. The speaker resists crying and he wants to be like the wall itself -- stone cold. Instead, he sees objects reflected in the wall that only take him back and confuse his mind. He is anxious and everyone around him is, too. Here we see the angst of a past…

As Hemingway also states,.".. The old man always thought of her as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favors, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them. The moon affects her as it does a woman, he thought" (30). Moreover, to Santiago, there is something magical about the sea. By contrast, the younger fishermen, those who laugh at Santiago's bad luck, think of her only pragmatically, unromantically, as a means of commerce.

Despite his persistent streak of bad luck, Santiago still tells himself to fish the best he can, out of respect to the sea, and himself. "I could just drift, he thought, and put a bight of line around my toe to wake me. But today is eighty-five days and I should fish the day well" (p. 41). As he fishes, alone but determined, Santiago identifies with some…

The frequency of window imagery in the novel highlights both the importance of expectancy ("Esperanza) and houses. Esperanza's namesake was said to always be looking out of a window, after she was 'carried off' by a man, symbolizing Esperanza's fears of maturity. Esperanza is ashamed when people point to her house through windows, like the nun at her school points at the house from a window to indicate why Esperanza cannot eat her rice sandwich with the 'special students' who do not live nearby. The first chapter of the novel chronicles all of the many problems with the house she lives in, from the crumbling steps to the leaky plumbing, and worst of all the fact that it, just like all of the houses Esperanza has lived in her life, is leased.

A window is something both 'of' a house, but also allows an individual to look away and beyond…

Talented Mr. Ripley

The story of Patricia Highsmith's Mr. Ripley is one about a man who is very adept at pretending to be something that he is not. The original novel of The Talented Mr. Ripley tells the story of a man who is on the outside of the upper class system. More than anything, he wants to become part of the elite and is able to do so through manipulation and deception. hen this proves fruitless, Mr. Ripley resorts to multiple homicides in order to achieve his financial goal. Much of the potency of the story comes from the symbolism that is present throughout the tale. In both the original novel and the later film version of The Talented Mr. Ripley, there are several very important symbols which are used to illustrate the character of Tom Ripley and his true nature. One particular symbol that echoes throughout both the…

" Further, as previously stated, in the Jewish tradition, it is believed that the Messiah (whom Christians believe is Jesus), must be a descendent of David's line.

The New Testament in fact introduces Jesus as the son of David and of Abraham (Mt. 1:1). Further, in the Gospel of Luke, he describes how Mary, the mother of Jesus, was descended from King David through one of his sons, Nathan. This leads contemporary Christians to believe that Jesus is the prophesied messiah, as well as the rightful king of Israel.

It is interesting that Jesus, despite the fact of David's obviously sinful nature, follows him in matters of conduct. Indeed, the reader notes that Christ used the actions of the pre-descent David as justification for his own (Luke 6:1-5) concerning the eating of wheat from the fields on the Sabbath. (McCall, 1999). However, even more interesting than David's use as a…

The only material similarity between Prynne's scarlet "badge" and Faith's pink ribbons is that both are made of cloth and adorn some type of clothing, i.e., Faith's ribbons are part of her cap while Prynne's "badge" is sewn into her dress as needlework.

The reader is first introduced to Prynne's "badge" in Chapter Two of the Scarlet Letter when she emerges from jail -- "On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter a." Upon being led to her "place of punishment" for committing adultery with Arthur Dimmesdale, all eyes are immediately drawn to the scarlet "A" which "had the effect of a spell, taking (Hester) out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself" (ell, 163-164). Obviously, this scarlet emblem upon Hester's dress seems to emit a life…

Problem, Puzzle, Research Questions
The author critically examines all types of social controls on women, but focuses on laws related to the hejab in Iran. Neghibi (1999) claims that the Shah’s law that forbade the hejab and the Ayatollah’s mandatory hejab law had an ironically similar overall effect of controlling women’s bodies through a patriarchal state. The main difference is that the former aligned national identities in Iran with Western norms, and the Ayatollah/revolutionary approach created a national identity based on anti-Western and fundamentalist Muslim norms.
Theories and Concepts
The author works within several related theoretical frameworks: namely feminism, post-colonialism, and critical theory. Related concepts include the differentiation between the public and private space, the construction of gender norms, oppression, and the failure of feminism to find a universal voice. Another core concept is symbolism and symbolic-interactionism: the way the hejab can represent identity, rebellion, and subversion depending on how…

LOVE GEATE THAN CASTE?

Love may make the world go round but this is not the most important element to establish a relationship in some cultures of the world. While many would feel that if you love someone, nothing else should stop you from being together, this is not how Ammu and Velutha were treated in Arundhati oy's "The God of Small things." When they fell in love, there was a big obstacle in their path to being one and that obstacle was caste difference. They knew so well that it would be impossible to be together legally that they hid their love from the world and would meet in the dark to express their love for each other. Their story shows that caste is greater than love in some parts of the world.

Their emotionally charged love story takes place in the backdrop of caste problems that plagued Kerala,…

Chopin's "Story of an Hour" and the Use of Symbol

Kate Chopin uses various symbols, such as the open window, the home, the heart, the news of death, and stairs, to convey themes of alienation and otherness, both of which underscore the ultimate irony in "The Story of an Hour" about a woman who happily "becomes" a widow only to find, tragically, in her moment of bliss that her husband is actually still very much alive. Chopin's main character Mrs. Mallard is unhappily married to Mr. Mallard and it is this unhappiness that sets her apart from other women: "She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance" (Chopin) -- that is to say, Mrs. Mallard is set apart from other women by her lack of love for her husband. She eyes the open window and wants to…

Value of Sacrifice in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi"

The short story by O. Henry entitled "The Gift of the Magi" is about Della and Jim, a very young couple who want to buy a Christmas gift for one another -- but neither has the money to afford it; so each sells his/her most prized possession: Della cuts off her hair and sells it, and Jim sells his watch. Ironically, the gifts that they buy one another are related to the most prized possessions each has sold: Jim buys combs for Della's hair and Della buys a watch-chain for his watch. O. Henry uses the symbol of the Magi -- the three Wise Men who visited the Christ child on the first Christmas day -- to explain the meaning of Jim and Della's sacrificing and gift-giving, which appears foolish at first glance. What O. Henry states is that…

My Papa's Waltz

The poem My Papa's Waltz is about the relationship between an abusive father and his child, who is the narrator and the point of perspective. The little boy is trying to hold onto his father literally in the poem, but the poem is likely written from the perspective of an older person, looking back at his childhood. He is trying to hold onto the love for his father, despite his father being an abusive alcoholic.

The waltz in the poem is of course not relating to a dance. The waltz is the metaphor for the father's movements when he's been drinking, movements that are described in terms like "every step you missed my right ear scraped a buckle" and "you beat time on my head." The title adds meaning to the poem because a dance is like a routine, movements that are repeated, and the narrator is…

Symbolism of Blood, Water and Weather

Virtually all of Shakespeare's most prolific works are accompanied by symbolism. In this respect, his vaunted Macbeth is no different. This tale of betrayal, murder and revenge is so timeless in large part due to the author's copious deployment of symbolism which helps to shape the plot and provide more than a little foreshadowing. The prudent reader can easily discern the fact that there is a repetition of three of the most widely used symbols in this play: weather, water, and blood. These symbols are more prevalent than any others through this dramatic work largely due to what they symbolize: bad omens, purity, and murderous guilt. Furthermore, at least one of these symbols is present in virtually all of the major developments in this play. A careful analysis of symbolism in Macbeth reveals that all of these symbols are potent reminders of the evil…

color in "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

COLOR IN THE GREAT GATSBY

Fitzgerald uses color elaborately in "The Great Gatsby," and it usually has some ulterior meaning, like the "green light" that appears throughout the novel. Many critics say the green light symbolizes Daisy, but it is more than that.

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter - to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning..." (Fitzgerald 212). The green light is the whole type of life they were living. Their lives did not mean much -- they were empty and phony. They lived them year after year because that is what they did in East Egg, and society was the most important thing, you were who you knew, and what you had.

There are…