How Does Woolrich Use Symbols In It Had To Be Murder

Why do authors use symbolism in their literature? Many authors use symbolism in their literature to create or to add deeper meaning in the context of the whole story. They often use objects, people, actions and words to symbolize a deeper understanding of their story and to develop their themes. They also use symbols to give clue/hints for the story in which they also develop their main characters. In the story, “It Had to be Murder” by Cornell Woolrich, the author uses symbolism to develop his story and to send a message with a deeper understanding of the story to his readers. In the story, “It Had to be Murder”, Woolrich states that “He didn’t remove his hat As though there was no one there to remove it for anymore. Instead, he pushed it farther to the back of his head by pronging a hand to the roots of his hair. That gesture didn’t denote removal of perspiration, I knew. To do that a person makes a sidewise sweep—this was up over his forehead. It indicated some sort of harassment or uncertainty”. In this quote, we learn from the author that the hat being over forehead symbolizes either harassment or uncertainty. We get this symbol and what it means from the directly first-person narrator. From this

I have very good sight. One moment they were white, the next red, the next blue. Then I got it. They were a woman’s dresses”. At first, I did not pay attention to the colors of the dresses, but then I realized the pattern of colors in order. In this case, I believe white represents light, goodness, and pureness. The red represents anger, blood and possibly murder. The last but not least, the color blue that represents wisdom, loyalty, and truth. It seemed to me that the author used colors symbolizes the story from the beginning to the end. I believe it is a hint for us to what to expect and what not to since Jeffries was right all along the