What is a Symbolism?
It gives words, people, locations, or abstract ideas figurative meanings different from their literal sense.
For example, a chain can symbolize union and/or imprisonment.
Use Symbolism to...
- Add emotional weight to your story
- Convey complex themes
- Connect central themes
- Camouflage a dark meaning
Examples
- In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the green light to symbolize Gatsby's materialism and unrealistic dreams.
- In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorneâs main character, Hester Prynne, is forced to wear the letter A, for adulteress, symbolizing sin and the loss of innocence.