A symbol is the use of a concrete object to represent an abstract idea. The word symbol is
derived from the Greek verb “symballein” which means “to put together” and the related noun “symbolon”
which means “mark”, “token”, or “sign”, in the sense of the half-coin carried away by each of the two
parties in an agreement as a pledge. It means basically joining or combining.
A national flag is a symbol of a country’s heritage and a visible representation of all the intangible
ideals for which the country stands, including those men who protected the country in times of war. A flag
with a skull and crossbones is the traditional symbol of pirates and foretells of danger, destruction, and
even death.
The term “symbol”, when used in literature is often a figure of speech in which a person, object, or
situation represents something in addition to its literal meaning. In “The Sick Rose”, Blake uses the rose
to symbolize love. Symbolism involves the selection of certain natural or conventional signs to represent
deeper or hidden truths or insights. The symbol itself may be traditional, conventional, personal, or
ambiguous. It may be as simple as a word, a figure of speech, an event, or an action.
Conventional or traditional literary symbols work in much the same way, and because they have a
previously agreed upon meaning, they can be used to suggest ideas more universal than the physical
aspect itself. In this way a symbolic story can transcend the narrow limits of time and place and hint at
what the author believes are broad, general truths. If an author writes about a character with the initials
J.C., and the person is executed at age 33, it is probable that the author intends the character to be taken
as a modern-day symbol of Christ. Readers can use this as a clue to further implications in the story.
Observe Jim Casey in The Grapes of Wrath, Joe Christmas in Light in August, and Jim Conklin in The
Red Badge of Courage among others. Water may be used to suggest its traditional symbol of purity or
rebirth, or sometimes to make an ironic comment on these ideas as in “The Waste Land” or Lord of the
Flies. Another dominant use of symbols or images is that of light and dark. In Conrad’s story “The
Lagoon” darkness is a symbol of evil and light a symbol of good. In Silas Marner darkness and light are
also used in that way, and in Heart of Darkness, Conrad uses light to represent not only good, but what
humans show to the outside world and darkness as evil or the inner desires and secrets of man.
Symbols may be used traditionally, but not always. The white dove is a universal symbol of peace and
signifies good, but the great white whale in Melville’s Moby Dick is a private symbol and a complex one.
A symbol is different from a literal image, from a metaphor, and from an emblem in an allegory.
In the following lines “woods” is an image, presented literally as a place one is going through:
“Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go.” If the woods were pictured in
more detail—snow-covered pines, elm branches black against the sky—it would still be a literal image,
although a more vivid one. However, in the statement, “From the helicopter, we were able to see the
windfarm, a forest of windmills”, forest is a metaphor. The speaker is not seeing a real forest. A group of
windmills is indirectly being compared to a forest. In Dante’s allegory, The Inferno, Dante awakens to find
himself lost in a wood. The wood, one is told, is Error. On an allegorical level, Dante is lost in the error of
his own ways, or in sin. The only way out of the wood is through the hazardous landscape of hell (the
recognition of sin) and purgatory (the renunciation of sin). The wood functions as an emblem because its
significance is precisely determined by an allegorical context, in which abstract concepts have been
translated into a sort of picture language.
In William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, all the main characters turn up sooner or later in the
play’s principal locale, the Forest of Arden. As the action of the play unfolds, the forest becomes richly
symbolic, even though it remains a real forest. It is a place both of escape from and banishment from
civilization, with both the advantages and disadvantages which that involves; a place of freedom, a place
of transformation, moral regeneration, and reconciliation; and ultimately, a place from which one must
return. Like many literary symbols, the Forest of Arden both embodies universal suggestions of
meaning—the forest as a place of escape from civilization—and takes on private significance from the
way it is treated in the story. When these conventional symbols are used, they reveal important thematic
considerations implied in the story.
Symbols often have multiple meanings. For example, in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story
“The Yellow Wallpaper”, the wallpaper itself is ugly and lacking in any artistic pattern. It becomes a
symbol not only of marital restrictions but also society’s restrictions placed on women at the turn of the
twentieth century. Additionally, it symbolizes literally the trapped feelings experienced by John’s wife and
generally by all women.
Some conventional symbols are:
I.
Colors:
A. Red- immoral; the color of blood, passion, emotion, danger, or daring
B. Black- seen as a cold and negative aspect suggesting passivity, death, ignorance, or evil;
black hens and black cats are used in witchcraft
C. White- innocence, life, light, or enlightenment
D. Green- inexperience, new life, immaturity
E. Yellow- heat, maturity, rotting, decay
F. Blue- cool, calm, peace
G. Pink- innocence, femininity
H. Purple- royalty, bruising, pain
I. Brown- earth, ploughed land, soil; represents humility and poverty
II.
Nature:
A. Seasons
-
Spring- birth, new beginnings
Summer- maturity, knowledge
Autumn- decline, nearing death, growing old
Winter- death, sleep
Christmas season- birth, change for the better
Easter season- rebirth, enlightenment
Light- truth, safety, warmth, knowledge
Darkness- evil, ignorance, danger
B. Trees- lines of demarcation, darkness
- Apple trees- the fruit is the key of knowledge and temptation
- Chestnut tree- foresight
- Oak tree- strength
C. Weeds- evil (hemlock, pigweed, etc); wildness/ outside society
D. Flowers- beauty, youth, strength, gentleness
- Anemone- transience
- Chrysanthemum- because its petals expand in ordered rays, it is a solar
symbol; it is also a symbol of perfection; it is a hardy flower and can
signify strength
- Rose- budding youth, romance, potential, fragility
- Sunflower- sturdiness, strength
- Violet- shyness, petiteness
E. Water- life passing by, purity or washes away guilt; origin of life, maintenance of life,
black water = death
F. Birds
- Cuckoo- symbolizes jealousy and parasitism because it lays its eggs in
the nest of other birds; this also shows laziness
G. Moon (shapes/ phases of the moon)- changing shape and return to the same shape;
Moslems accompany the crescent with a star which an image of paradise
III.
Directions: Cardinal Points represent the four directions of two-dimensional space
A. East- land of birth or rebirth, of the Sun and Venus; it is associated with renewal, youth,
feasting, song and love
B. North- the side which lies on the sun’s right hand and lies on either side of life; it
symbolizes night sky and night wind; its color is black; represents coldness, alienation,
hostility
C. South- the land of fire; warmth, comfort
D. West- the land of evening, old age, and the descending passage of the sun.
The early Christians regarded the west-east asis as that of the Devil and God, of Hell and
Heaven.
IV.
Weather
A. Snow- blanket which obscures or covers
B. Fog/ Mist- prevents clear vision or thinking- represents isolation
C. Rain- sadness or despair; new life
D. Sun- heat, pressure, or enlightenment; happiness
E. Wind/ Storms- violent human emotions
V.
Animals
A. Dove- peace
B. Fox- slyness
C. Raven- death, destruction
D. Lion- pride
E. Peacock- pride
F. Mule- stubborn
G. Mouse- shyness
H. Hawk- predation
I. Snake- evil
J. Owl- wisdom
K. Salmon- instinct
L. Cats- servants of the underworld; cunning, forethought, ingenuity
VI.
Human body parts:
A. Ankle- suggests more intimate parts of anatomy
B. Blood- symbolizes all the integral qualities of fire and the heat and vitality inherent in the
sun; corresponds to vital and bodily heat; guilt
C. Bones- framework of the human body; strength and virtue
D. Hands- strength or weakness
E. Eyes- windows to the soul; barometer of emotions
F. Mouth- indicator of character traits
VII.
Clothing:
A. Cape- or any circular garment or vestment with a hole in the middle suggests a celestial
symbolism. When a priest or nun withdraws from the world, they cover themselves in a
cape which symbolizes a withdrawal into oneself or into God
B. Cloak- a symbol of human trickery and the different personalities humans can assume
VIII.
Objects:
A. Chain- symbolizes the bond which connects Heaven and earth or ties together two
extremes or beings
B. Walls- barriers between people both physical and mental
C. Cavern- serves as an archetype of the maternal womb; in Greek belief the cavern
represents the world
IX.
Names- indicative of personality
A. Ichabod Crane- legs like a crane
B. Young Goodman Brown- all good young men
C. Arthur Dimmesdale- sins “dimmed” in “dale”
D. Holden Caulfield- is “holding” on to his childhood and wants to stand in the middle of a
“field” and “call” out to the children to prevent them from falling over the “crazy cliff”
E. Names can become known for acts or character traits and function as symbols. Some
examples are:
1. Superman
2. Jezebel
3. Frankenstein
F. Others have literally become adjectives in modern language. Some examples are:
1. Oedipal
2. Herculean
3. Promethean
X.
Setting
A. The forest- usually a place of evil or mystery
B. An isolated setting- alienation, loneliness or provincial thinking
C. A garden- paradise or a haven
D. A park- a place for retreat and renewal
E. The town- a place where rules are observed and people are on their best behavior
A frequent kind of symbol is the created or invented symbol. In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the
black box represents tradition (an invented symbol) and death (a traditional symbol). The flowers in
Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” symbolize the youth, health, and vitality which are so evident in
Eliza’s personality. Symbols add both depth of meaning and universality to literature. Once readers are
able to recognize the more conventional symbols and look for the created or ambiguous ones, literature
takes on new meaning and provides greater enjoyment.
Your assignment: Read “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck. In well-developed paragraph,
analyze the author’s use of symbolism in the story. Focus on providing insight into the work as well as
examining the author’s purpose in using symbolism.