Symbolism
What do you see?
What words come to mind?
If you said “liberty, justice, freedom,”
WHY did you?
What do you see?
What words come to mind?
Over time, certain objects have been
assigned meaning.
We call these objects SYMBOLS.
And the process is called:
Symbolism!
= FREEDOM
= BAD LUCK
What do you see?
What words come to mind?
What does this SYMBOLIZE?
What’s the symbolism?
Now, let’s move to literature!
No matter how windy, cold, or rainy the
Pacific Northwest could be, Tommy would not let
his campfire go out. No matter how hungry or tired
he became, somehow he kept the fire stoked. Even
if he had to travel for hundreds of yards to find
firewood, Tommy kept it burning. When everything
said quit, let go, just give up, the fire called to him.
What’s the symbolism in this paragraph?
Here’s what I saw:
= hope
So…watch out for symbols in your
reading!
Symbolism
• Symbols in literature - objects that are
used to represent other things or ideas.
• Symbolism provides meaning to the
writing beyond what is actually being
described.
• This meaning is used to enhance the story
A writer often uses a concrete
object to express an abstract idea,
quality or belief.
• What is a concrete object?
Concrete Objects
• Refer to an actual substance or thing, as
opposed to an abstract quality.
• Abstract object – usually an idea. It exists,
but you can’t touch it or see it.
• Examples of concrete: cat, water, teacher
• Examples of abstract nouns: truth,
excellence, adulthood
What can be used as a symbol?
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sign
sound
object/s
picture/image
character
written word or phrase
letter
Symbolism
• Symbolism in literature can be subtle or
obvious, used sparingly or throughout the
story.
Literature Example
• The Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling
could be seen as containing a lot of
symbolism, although there are as many
interpretations as there are creatures in
the books! (The author isn't saying). One
clear example is a commonly used one;
the use of a snake to represent evil. It is
no coincidence that the symbol of
Slytherin House is a serpent.
The Outsiders
• Greaser Hair
Greaser Hair
• The greasers' long, slick hair is a symbol
of their gang, both to themselves and to
others. When Pony and Johnny cut and
dye their hair while in hiding they’re taking
a symbolic step outside the gang. As a
result, Ponyboy feels less secure, but also
gains a bit of room in which to develop his
individuality.
The Outsiders
• The Blue Mustang
Blue Mustang
• The blue Mustang represents the Socs’ wealth
as well as the danger they pose to Greasers.
When Johnny or Two-bit or another Greaser
spots the Mustang, he knows trouble is coming.
As the novel progresses, however, and Ponyboy
comes to understand and feel compassion for
the Socs, the Mustang loses some of its power
to intimidate. Ponyboy actually sits inside of it
when and he talk about the church fire and the
rumble.
The Outsiders
• Sunsets and Sunrises
Sunsets/Sunrises
• Sunsets and sunrises in The Outsiders
represent the beauty and goodness in the world,
particularly after Johnny compares the gold in
the poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” to the gold of
the sunrises and sunsets Ponyboy enjoys. The
sunset also stands for the common humanity of
all people, regardless of the gang to which they
belong—in their first conversation at the drive-in,
Ponyboy and Cherry find common ground in
their enjoyment of the same sunset from
opposite sides of town.
Recognize Symbolism
• The frequency an object or character is
mentioned in a piece of literature--if it is
mentioned often, it is probably important.
• Another way to find a symbol is to look at how
much detail is used in describing an object.
• These two methods give clues that the writer
wants you to infer something about a particular
object.
Trust your feelings
• If an image or object described by the
author makes you react in a certain way,
you are probably onto something; never
discredit your own feelings.
• It is very likely that the author planted the
image in the work in a particular way to
alert the reader that a symbol is important.
Look to others
• Discussing a piece of literature with a
teacher or classmates is always helpful.
• With experience, finding symbols will
become easier, but when you are first
starting out, it never hurts to get ideas
from others.
Examples of Symbolism
• American cultural symbols: Red, white
and blue colors; Bald Eagle
• Green has come to represent anything
which is environmentally friendly.
• Red has come to represent love
• Diamonds have come to symbolize
forever
• Can you think of other symbols?