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Essays analysing the use of metaphors
Essays analysing the use of metaphors
Essay on symbolism in literature
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The warmth of the campfire tickles on their skin. The cricket’s songs echo into their ears from behind the bushes. The Native Americans, hand-in-hand, sit and listen to the stories of their people. Within these fascinating tales are symbols some may not even notice. A Symbol relays a meaning that digs below the surface meaning of something that has a literal meaning of something else. In the short story, When Grizzlies Walked Upright (Source A), the symbol of staying within one’s cultural beliefs is symbolized by the grizzly bears. If the grizzlies had stuck to their beliefs and not taken the spirt chiefs daughter into their keeping, the outcome would have been one with very different consequences. In The Earth on Turtle’s Back (Source C)
The Grizzly bear house partition screen is one such example of important, symbolic Tlingit art. The partition screens were used both symbolically as well as served as a dividing screen for the chief separating his living quarters from the rest of his tribal house. This example is made in an unusually grand scale of 15 x 8 feet and is carved in bold low relief from cedar and was later painted. It artistically and symbolically represents Chief Shakes extended family’s origin, the grizzly bear, with smaller heads of the bear making up other parts of its body such as the eyes, ears, chest, as well as many other sections of the piece. The smaller heads create a highly symmetrical design within the piece as well as further symbolize the important image of the bear. Carved out of the reproductive area of the bear is the doorway for the chief, additionally creating an important symbolic representation of their chief being birthed from the grizzly bear every time he enters and leaves his sacred quarters.
Throughout the novel Bless the Beasts and Children, by Glendon Swarthout, symbolism is used frequently to show a weakness in a character or to fulfill a purpose in the novel. The most apparent weaknesses in the bedwetters was their need for radios to help them sleep. The hats portrayed each characters personality and background in some cases. Also, The Box Canyon Boys Camp is in itself a symbol representing American society in general.
The Native American culture revolved around a circle, or what Black Elk called the "sacred hoop". The flowering tree was the center of the hoop. The flowering tree was symbolic of growth and prosperity for all people in the tribe. It is equally shared between all members of the tribe. "Everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the power of the world always works in circles, and everything tries to be round" (pg. 150). The flowering tree at the center of the circle was nourished by the seasons, which also occurred in a circular pattern. Black Elk also made references to the sky and the earth being round, the moon and the sun setting in a circle as well as both being round. "The wind blows in circular whirls. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood" (pg. 150).
A symbolic object is something that represents an abstract idea or a bigger picture. Chris Eyre’s film, Smoke Signals, uses many symbolic objects to thoroughly communicate the issues Native Americans face while living in America, “the freest country on Earth.” Specifically, the scene with the song “John Wayne’s Teeth” is used to symbolize indigenous peoples’ ongoing battle for equality and self-identity in a world of neocolonialism.
Symbolism is one of the most effective and powerful elements in writing. We see various examples of this all throughout "The Things They Carried." Symbolism enables us to tell a story one way, while all along trying to say another. I believe Tim O'Brien has achieved success in doing so in "The Things They Carried."
The novel Through Black Spruce is an incredible book that shows the real truth and real life scenario of the First Nation community across Canada, it shows the real hardship and struggles the community faces every day and how they overcome it. The presence of the symbolism does give the novel a whole new meaning to it, the symbolism of beaver representing family and how they stick together, this shows Will bird a bush pilot in the novel, his struggles. The symbol of a bear portrays protection and love, proving once again the hardships the characters face throughout the novel and seeking for protection. While the symbol of Gosse represents seeking freedom, taking on a long journey, and seeking someone is what both of the main characters in the novel try to do. In the novel Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden, reveals to the reader that symbolism is a self-reflection of the character’s struggles’ and culture which helps the reader understand their own way of living.
In Bless the Beasts and the Children, symbols and motifs help progress the story and develop the theme that ?when faced with a certain situation, boys will do great things?. The boys can use symbols and motifs to help them get through obstacles without giving up and acheive their goal. The boys also give up symbols and motifs they used for comfort or stability that they no longer need because of their independence and maturity.
The Native American culture revolved around a circle, or what black Elk referrers to as their nation’s hoop. The flowering tree is the center of the hoop. The flowering tree is symbolic of growth and prosperity for all the people in the tribe. It is equally shared between all the members of the tribe. “Everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the power of the world always works in circles, and everything tries to be round” (APT 315). The flowering tree at the center of the circle was nourished by the seasons, which also occur in a circular pattern. Black Elk also makes reference to the sky and the earth being round, the moon and the sun setting in a circle as well as both being round. The wind blows in circular whirls. A person’s life from childhood to death is circular (APT 315). The reference to a circle of how Indian’s lived is symbolic because in a circle, everything that goes around comes around. Everything is shared amongst the citizens. Even thought there were members of the tribe that were regarded as chiefs or held high ranks, they still slept in tepees just like every other person. Rank was not granted by how much a person had; it was granted by the ability to help other members of ...
Symbolism is strongly represented through Kaplan’s short story. The symbols represented are the ocean, the killing of the doe and the woods. Visiting the ocean for the first time at the Jersey Shore was new for Andy. Since then she had been awfully frightened of the ocean. She believes the ocean to be a huge, vast that constantly moved, keeps shifting
...e of the meanings to be determined by the reader, but clearly conveys the meaning behind others. Such variety provides something or someone for any reader to relate to. Symbolism, hidden or obvious, serves to connect the reader with the characters of “The Things They Carried” and follow their development with interest and ease. In many cases, symbols answer the question which the entire story is based upon, why the men carry the things they do.
Symbolism is commonly used by authors that make short stories. Guin is a prime example of how much symbolism is used in short stories such as “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” and “Sur.” In both of these stories Guin uses symbolism to show hidden meanings and ideas. In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” there is a perfect Utopian city, yet in this perfect city there is a child locked in a broom closet and it is never let out. A few people leave the city when they find out about the child, but most people stay. Furthermore, in “Sur” there is a group of girls that travel to the South Pole and reach it before anyone else, yet they leave no sign or marker at the South Pole. Guin’s stories are very farfetched and use many symbols. Both “Sur” and “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” have many symbols such as colors, characters, objects, and weather. The four types of symbols that Guin uses help the readers understand the themes in her short stories. Although her stories are farfetched, they need symbolism in them or the reader would not understand the theme; therefore the symbols make Guin’s stories much more enjoyable.
The symbols that are used in literature can have a large impact on the story and what the reader pulls out from the story. If there was no symbol used in To Kill a Mockingbird, people would miss a lot of the story going on and they may not see the more innocent side of the story. Although symbols are used in many different forms, the one used in To Kill a Mockingbird made the story what it was. The mockingbird gave the story a whole different approach. By using a symbol in the story, the author was able to make th...
A symbol is any “‘object, act, event, quality, or relation which serves as a vehicle for conception’” (230). Peyote Hunt: The Sacred Journey of the Huichol Indians by Barbara Myerhoff is a very intricate text which involves numerous aspects of symbolism. Myerhoff not only applies a much deeper meaning to deer, maize, and peyote, but she also uses these objects as a representation of divine beings and spirits. The deer, maize, and peyote are very powerful entities but together they form the deer-maize-peyote complex, which is central to the Huichol life. The unification of these disparate objects can be easily understood once they are analyzed on three different levels: exegetical, operational, and positional.
The next reason we’ll be looking at are the stereotypical images commonly seen in literature and mascots. Mainstream media such as “Dances with Wolves”, “The Lone Ranger”, and “The Last of The Mohicans” and mascots in professional sports teams like Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Blackhawks all include representations of Native Americans that for some, are offensive. With this in mind, ...
In the spoken poem “To This Day” by Shane Koyczan, there are numerous instances in which symbolism is evident. The poem “To This Day” is an emotional poem about the bullying both the narrator and many others have experienced throughout their life and how it has lasting effects on the victim. Near the middle of the poem, the narrator starts introducing his life as a youth, with one of the first things said being the most interesting. This has left me to conclude that his parents died when he was young and he was adopted from there. This is supported as he states, “He was a broken branch grafted onto a different family tree, but not because his parents opted for a different destiny” (Koyczan). This quote, which is directed toward the narrator,