Symbolism is a literary device in which a writer uses one thing to reflect something more abstract, typically a physical object or phenomenon. A strong symbol typically shares a collection of main characteristics with the thing it’s supposed to represent, or is somehow linked to it.
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Types of Symbolism
– A symbol can be a physical object, a character, or an event. Here’s a brief overview of how each type of symbolism works: Symbolism by physical objects: Physical objects are often used to symbolize an idea or concept, as a means of directing the reader’s attention to some of the work’s central themes. A poet may, for example, compose a poem about a flower dancing in the wind to express a sense of innocence, natural peace, or pure happiness.
– Characters as symbols: Characters may also function as symbols—for a specific virtue or sin, or for a political philosophy.
– Symbolism in the form of events: Events may be symbolic as well. While a character’s long, wild hair may represent a time of youth or innocence, a scene in which the character hacks off his or her long hair may represent a loss of innocence—or the sacrifices people must make in the process of maturing into responsible adults. Even though the act of cutting one’s hair is neither an item nor a character, it is still a form of symbolism.
Authors frequently incorporate symbolism into their work, because symbols engage readers on an emotional level and succinctly convey large and complex ideas.
(Mahler, Adam. "Symbolism." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 5 May 2017. Web. 1 May 2021.)
Examples of Symbolism in Literature
Authors frequently incorporate symbolism into their work, because symbols engage readers on an emotional level and succinctly convey large and complex ideas.
Symbolism in Skakespear’s “The Tempest”
Mianda’s Virginity –
Whilst reading the novel or watching the play, you may have noticed there was a slight obsession with Miranda’s virginity. Prospero often spoke of it as a treasure which he had to guard from Caliban . When Ferdinand sees Miranda for the first time, he says he hopes she’s unmarried and still carrying her V-card. Weird right. Taking into consideration that the play was set in 1600s, a time where women were seen as nothing more than an item to pleasure men and bear their children. If they had sex before marriage, they were considered damaged goods who couldn’t be depended on to produce legitimate offspring. So it was quite understandable on why Prospero treated Miranda’s virginity as something so precious and priceless.
Miranda’s virginity seems to be a sign of her purity, innocence, and goodness at times. (This is in contrast to Sycorax the witch, who had intercourse with the devil and gave birth to Caliban.) Miranda’s virginity also seems to help redeem the island’s naturalness in some way. Keep in mind that Sycorax was the last woman on the island. She was unnatural not only because she was a witch, but also because she was already pregnant with the devil’s child when she arrived on the island (it doesn’t get any more unnatural than that). Miranda’s virginity is indicative of the hope of a fresh and pure beginning if the island is to be a place of salvation for all of the characters in the play.
Symbolism in Winfred Owen’s “Dolce Et Decorum Est”
Wilfred Owen’s story “Dulce et Decorum Est” is set in Europe in the early 1900s during World War 1 and tells the story of a soldier and how he deals with the conflict. Battle is ironically seen as a source of pride by the narrator. Death is the central theme of this poem. Death is also the motive for all the elements in the poem, even though it is never discussed until the very end when he writes ‘mori’ to die’). The Green Sea. As the speaker watches his fellow soldiers perish from the gas attack, the speaker remarks that the dying man seems to be drowning in a “green sea.” This strange sight is most likely the result of a combination of poor vision through his gas mask’s windows and the emergence of gas clouds as the gas is emitted from the shells. This image symbolizes the war’s overwhelming power to drown, suffocate, and destroy life. The war’s devastation and brutality engulf the soldier trapped in the gas, drowning him metaphorically. However, it often covers and suffocates the speaker; the incident’s visions, which recur long after the case, are known as “smothering dreams.“
Symbolism in Kristin Hunter’s Mom Luby and the Social worker
Joy, duty, compassion, bureaucracy, attachment, innocence, and improvement are all themes in Kristin Hunter’s Mom Luby and the Social Worker. Hunter’s story is told in the first person by a thirteen-year-old boy named Elijah, and the reader realizes after finishing it that Hunter is exploring the theme of love. Mom Luby’s simple act of fostering her two young charges demonstrates her affection for them. She is a poor, elderly woman who survives by running a speakeasy. She does not fit the profile of someone who should be able to care for two young children, let alone a group. Her visit to the Social Security Office demonstrates her dedication to caring for the two girls. The great irony in this short story is that a sad, elderly lady is capable of caring for two small children better than the State department mandated to do so. This is due to the fact that she can do more for them in two hours than the department can in two years. Mom Luby puts both Elijah and his sister Pudding before everyone else.
It’s also worth noting that Miss Rushmore spends all of her time at Mom Luby’s house, interrogating her. Mom Luby may or may not have the right answer to those questions. It’s likely that Hunter is implying that bureaucracy causes problems. Mom Luby is not entitled to any benefits from the welfare office because Elijah and Pudding are not her children. Miss Rushmore also seems to be passing judgment on Mom Luby based on her extracurricular activities, despite the fact that she is a poor woman helping other poor people. It’s as if Miss Rushmore and Mom Luby are on different wavelengths. Miss Rushmore is taken aback by Mom Luby’s way of life. Mom Luby is open and truthful in the plot. Except for the fact that she is Elijah’s and Pudding’s mother. Miss Rushmore has no idea what she’s hiding. When the truth is, she most likely should. This may be significant because it implies that Mom Luby is somewhat innocent. It’s also possible that Mom Luby and Miss Rushmore have two completely different lives. Hunter is implying, symbolically, that the government (or Miss Rushmore) have no idea how people live their lives. Mom Luby may do a lot of things, but she isn’t able to do any of them. That is, if qualification is described as a piece of paper issued by a university or government agency. Mom Luby, if anything, has learned how to do it from those who came before her. When academic qualifications were not required. Miss Rushmore frowns on such conduct.
In the novel, it seems as if there are two sides to life at work. Mom Luby’s realistic life, which she continues to live amid her difficulties, and Miss Rushmore’s impractical world. Miss Rushmore is still in shock after spending the day with Mom Luby, which is interesting. It’s as if she can’t believe Mom Luby accomplishes so much while being unqualified to do so. The reader realizes by the end of the story that neither Mom Luby nor Miss Rushmore are going to change their ways, with Mom Luby prepared to live her life without the government’s help.
The Literary Wiz 