The story, “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh,” by Ray Bradbury, has many ways of showing symbolism. Some ways of symbolism in this story is the peach blossom, the general, and the drum. A way of symbolism is the peach blossom, because it shows youth. It shows youth because it is still not matured, or fully grown. It isn't fully grown, like boys, or girls, so it still has some maturing to do. Another way it shows youth is it is soft, like a boy or girls face. The softness of the face comes when you are a baby, and babies are young. The last way the peach blossom shows symbolism is the wisdom of them. The kids aren't very wise, because they have things to learn. Finally, the peach blossom symbolizes youth. Another way of symbolism is the general, because
he's like the father figure, and he has wisdom. One way he is like the father figure, is because he tries to calm down his soldiers. He tries to keep them calm before the war, so that they aren't freaking out. Also, he symbolises wisdom because he knows they need more time to train. He knows that some of them haven't trained at all. Another way this shows symbolism, is he helps Joby out like a father. He tells Joby that it is okay to cry. All in all, the general is a very important symbol. The last way of symbolism is the drum, because it's the heartbeat of the army. To begin with, the reason it symbolizes the heartbeat, is because it sets the pace of the battle. Like the heartbeat sets the pace of the blood flowing through your system. Then, there is also bad things that could happen if they didn't have the drum, like they wouldn't know what pace to walk, and the would all be walking a different pace. If they were all to walk a different pace, then it would potentially mess them up. All in all, the drum is a symbolization in this story.
...nature. Finally, the tree off which Finny and Gene jump represents the Tree of Knowledge; jumping from the tree is against the rules, and in doing so the boys symbolically accept the loss of their innocence as Adam and Eve did by eating of the forbidden fruit. Symbols certainly convey the theme of loss of innocence.
James Baldwin’s short story, “Sonny’s Blues,” is the authors most studied and critically analyzed piece of literature. The majority of these analyses focus on the obvious themes of the book such as jazz music, the unnamed narrator, or the rift that divides Sonny and his brother. Little critique has ever gone into the biblical and religious themes that run throughout the story of “Sonny’s Blues.” Furthermore, it is even more astonishing that there is little critique given Baldwin has such a strong history with the world of Christianity.
For example, when Hope, Dell, and Jackie go with their grandpa to The Candy Lady’s house, “...the sound of melting ice cream being slurped up fast, before it slides past our wrists, on down our arms and onto the hot, dry road” (Woodson 71). Furthermore, symbolism plays a big part in the poems. At one point in the story, once the family is in New York, the narrator describes a single tree in a small square of dirt, and it represents the part of the south that she still holds with her, the fact that Greenville, South Carolina will always be a part of her. I appreciated the symbolism and the fact that it provided more depth to the book; some instances of symbolism were genuinely
In the story, Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin uses music, jazz, and hymns to shape the story and show how it shapes Sonny’s life and how music is inherent to his survival. All of this is seen through the older brother’s eyes; the older brother is the narrator and the reader begins to understand Sonny through the older brother’s perspective. Baldwin writes the story like a jazz song to make a story out of his father’s past and his brother’s career choice and puts them together, going back and forth, until it creates a blending of histories and lives. He shows how the father’s past is similar to the narrator’s life; the older brother has conflicts with his younger brother, Sonny. Music heals the relationship.
Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in Alabama during a crucial time in American history. The book is told from the point of view of Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, and revolves around her and her brother Jem while they are growing up. While they are growing up, they learn many life lessons that are shown by different milestones. Lee uses many symbols in the novel to represent the maturing of Jem and Scout.
wanted to use symbolism in this story to show the trials and tribulations of the
In almost every story, one can find symbolism throughout the text to help the reader better understand what the writer wants the reader to takeout from his/her story. Symbolism is something that must be analyzed and explored to experience a deeper meaning to the story. Sometimes, symbolism throughout a story may not be noticeable when first read, but going back to analyze the text can add a deeper meaning to words and can also help to enhance the meaning behind the story line. In some instances, symbolism can leave a reader to ponder what the writer is trying to express with the symbolism used in the story; for symbolism can be interpreted differently and can have many layers of meaning to it. Some good examples of short stories that use symbolism to extend the meaning behind the story line are “The Lottery,” “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” and “The Jury of Her Peers”.
Now for another example from The Scarlet Letter, the rosebush. Hawthorne symbolizes the rosebush as “a sweet moral blossom.” In The Scarlet Letter(Hawthorne Pg #55), it states, “we could hardly do otherwise but pluck one of its flowers and present it to the reader. Let it hope to represent a sweet moral blossom that may reveal the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow.” Thus meaning that it could serve as a lesson to be learned by the reader. Symbolism not only can be difficult to understand, but difficult to portray. The rosebush could be both, but Hawthorne does a good job portraying the
The video “Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee,” tells the story of being pushed onto reservations in the Midwest and Black Hills negotiations. The main characters include Charles Eastman, Red Cloud, and Sitting Bull. These characters each play a significant role in capturing the emotional state of life among the governing agencies and tribal members.
“Mockingbirds do nothing for us but sing all day. That’s why it’s a sin to kill one” (103). To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee tells of a small town life, disrupted by an unfair trial of a black man accused of rape.It has many underlying points, like the children trying to meet Boo Radley and new friends in the summer. As named in the title, the mockingbird is used several times to symbolize innocence destroyed by evil, the mockingbird is an innocent animal doing nothing but singing, while the one who shoots it down is the evil one destroying all innocence. The mockingbird represents certain characters throughout the story who have been metaphorically “shot down”.
Symbolism is a part of human nature; it has been a form of communication long before the written language. Ideas are conveyed through symbolism. It is frequently used in pop culture today. Many songs and music videos have symbolism in them. The music video for “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus is symbolic for a destructive relationship. Her being stripped to nothing but her skin represents her vulnerability and how love destroyed her; she emotionally becomes ‘stripped and naked’. The wrecking ball represents how she feels. Miley Cyrus becomes the building and the wrecking ball crumbles her to pieces, leaving her in the middle of it all. Another song with symbolism is “Love Club” by Lorde. When Lorde says “love club,” she is using it as a symbol for equality. In this club there are no fights for being someone’s best friend, girls don’t fight over the littlest things, popularity doesn’t matter, you don’t have to worry about fitting in, and the thoughts of suicide are gone; everyone is equal. “Firework” by Katy Perry displays many cases of symbolism. Symbolism is used when Katy Perry says,...
Symbolism is often used within literature to bring attention to the overall themes and ideas of a story. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Pearl as a symbol of Hester’s sin, conscience, and grace to emphasize the theme that there is no escape from sin, and that even though it may affect you, learning from your mistakes can lead to a bright future.
The tall, lanky, dead tree depicts the darkness involved in the protagonists lives such as the death of friends and family, the disobedience they followed through with just to be together, Romeo exiled for murder, Juliet unable to marry Paris as she has consummated her marriage with Romeo, etc. The background behind the tree is cloudy/ashy to show that there is no light, which means that there is no hope for the conflict to end. However, there is a small sprouting plant which represents the pure, happy love between Romeo and Juliet. It shows that their love is everlasting, even in the dry barren area. All they need is each other. The black rose signifies delicacy and death at the same time to show that the love between Romeo and Juliet is deadly and it will result in deep sadness. Yet it is still a fragile
For most people the fruit of the peach is a symbol for southern United States, more specifically Atlanta, Georgia. However, in the story “Gaston” by William Saroyan the peach symbolizes many things including home, love, and loss. In the story, a middle classed man takes his biological yet distant daughter out to get peaches
Throughout much of the Glass Menagerie there is symbolism. Weather the symbolism is in the name Blue roses, which Jim calls Lora, or the unique glass unicorn. The Glass Menagerie, written by Tennessee Williams, consists of a brother. sister, and a nagging mother. “In his drama, the Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams uses symbolism in order to develop multi-faceted characters and to display the recurring themes of the play. These various symbols appear throughout the entire piece, and they are usually disguised as objects or imagery” Within the story Williams hides many hidden meaning or symbols. Symbols are the used to represent an underline meaning, instead of come out and saying it. There are two main symbols that show up in the play; the glass menagerie, and the fire escape.