Symbolism and Allegory

1. Symbolism and Allegory Feature Menu Symbol Identifying Symbols Allegory Practice

2. Symbol A symbol is a person, place, thing, or event that stands both for itself and for something beyond itself. Symbols may be • personal • public • literary

3. Symbol Personal symbols have special meaning for an individual.

4. Symbol Public symbols are widely recognized throughout a culture and sometimes even universally. Note

5. Symbol Literary symbols are created when writers assign a special, symbolic meaning to something. They appear in works of fiction, poetry, and drama. Color symbolism

6. Symbol Symbols, whether public or literary, work by association. red rose apple on a desk late night knock

7. Symbol Authors can make use of well-known symbols, create their own symbols, or combine elements of both public and literary symbols. + = [End of Section]

8. Symbol Note Different cultures may attach different meanings to some symbols. • For example, the symbolic meanings of colors are not universal.

9. Symbol Color Symbolism Sometimes authors use colors as literary symbols. What do these colors usually mean in western literature? white blue red green purple black

10. Identifying Symbols • Figurative Language • describes one thing in terms of another • is meant to be understood both on a literal level and a metaphorical level

11. Identifying Symbols Not all literary works contain symbols. How do readers know when something is symbolic in a story and when it is not?

12. Identifying Symbols Quick Check What might the clock symbolize? . . . there stood against the western wall a gigantic clock of ebony. . . . and when the minute hand had made the circuit of the face, and the hour was to be stricken, there came from the brazen lungs of the clock a sound . . . of so peculiar a note and emphasis that . . . while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest [dancer] grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows . . . . from “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe [End of Section]

13. Identifying Symbols Quick Check What might the clock symbolize? . . . there stood against the western wall a gigantic clock of ebony. . . . and when the minute hand had made the circuit of the face, and the hour was to be stricken, there came from the brazen lungs of the clock a sound . . . of so peculiar a note and emphasis that . . . while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest [dancer] grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows . . . . from “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe The clock is probably a symbol of the passing of time and the coming of death.

14. Allegory An allegory is a narrative in which characters and settings stand for abstract ideas or moral qualities. • In an allegory, the entire story is a symbol for something in human life. • Sometimes allegorical characters are named for the abstract quality they represent, such as Good Deeds or Pride.

15. Allegory One type of allegory is the fable. Fables • are brief stories that teach a practical lesson about life • are set in fantasy worlds where animals speak and think • often have animal characters that symbolize vices and virtues

16. Allegory Another kind of allegory is the parable. Parables • are brief stories that teach a lesson about moral behavior or ethics • are set in the ordinary, everyday world • feature humans as characters

17. Allegory Quick Check Is this excerpt from a fable or a parable? How can you tell? A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite . . . passed by on the on the other side. But a certain Samaritan . . . had compassion on him and went to him and bound up his wounds . . . Which now of these three . . . was neighbor unto him that fell among thieves? from the King James Bible, Luke 10:30–36 [End of Section]

18. Allegory Quick Check Is this excerpt from a fable or a parable? How can you tell? A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite . . . passed by on the on the other side. But a certain Samaritan . . . had compassion on him and went to him and bound up his wounds . . . Which now of these three . . . was neighbor unto him that fell among thieves? from the King James Bible, Luke 10:30–36 Parable. It’s set in the everyday world, has human characters, and teaches a lesson about ethics.

19. Practice • How many symbols can you find in public life? Try identifying what the following things stand for. • 1. dove with an olive branch • 2. blindfolded woman holding a pair of scales • 3. yellow rose • 4. yellow ribbon tied around a tree • 5. dragon (dragons stand for different things in the East and the West) • 6. pink ribbon on a lapel [End of Section]

20. The End