Going Beyond the Literal
Symbolism in “The Secret Lion”
We read literature on two levels:
• The first level is the literal level. It is
important to understand what happened on
a literal level before trying to analyze a story
more deeply. Questions we might ask while
reading on a literal level are:
– Who are the characters in the story? What are
their relationships to each other?
– What happened in the story? What are the
events that took place?
– In other words, what are the “facts” of the
story?
We read literature on two levels:
• The second level is a symbolic or figurative
one. This requires us to look at the literal
events that took place, and construct some
meaning that goes beyond “this is what
happened.”
– What themes or ideas might various characters,
events, and objects symbolize?
– What meaning can we draw from the story that
goes beyond a literal interpretation? (For
instance, in “Snow,” which some of you read for
last week, a little girl sees snow for the first time
and is afraid because she thinks it’s ash from an
atomic explosion. So what? Why do those
events matter?)
Recognizing Symbols
• From your text book: “A symbol is a person,
object, action, place or event that, in
addition to its literal meaning, suggests a
more complex meaning or range of
meanings” (292).
– Things that are symbolic are usually given a
great deal of importance in the work (this might
be description, significance to a character, etc.)
– They are also usually mentioned in or involved
with important plot points in the narrative.
Questions for “The Secret Lion”
• On a literal level, what happened?
• What happened on a figurative level?
– What do the literal events mean?
– What ideas about the human experience is the author
exploring?
• What are some of the symbols in this work? How do
they contribute to the story’s theme? (Discuss with
a partner. What are some important objects in this
story? How do they have suggest a more complex
meaning than their literal meaning?)
• What is the antagonist of this story? (An antagonist
is a force or person that opposes the main
character.)
Setting and “The Secret Lion”
• The settings (the locations where the story
takes place) are very prominent in “The
Secret Lion.”
– What are the settings that you feel are most
interesting or important to the story?
– What do each of those settings tell us about
the characters in the story?
In Class Writing #2
• What are some of the objects in your
"Alphabet of Life"? Describe one or two of
them, and discuss how they have had
meaning in your life. What did they symbolize
for you? If you can, discuss how your objects
are different from or similar to those in "The
Secret Lion."