Symbolism in Western Literature: A Comparative Study

Symbolism is a fundamental component in western literature, which is referred to repeatedly and carries significant meanings to the story. A symbol could be an object, person or action; however, it means more than what it is in order to convey author's certain ideas and emotions in the story. Much of the symbolic objects are commonly applied in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne; as such, when we begin the process of examining, the symbolisms is the unique key to explore the underlying meaning of each story.

“The Story of an Hour” is considered as one of Kate Chopin's masterpieces, and it is full with symbolic elements in order to reveal the female search for identity in a male-dominated

Mallard comes to a hopeful plan of her new life. She finds that trees can hardly wait to experience “new spring”, and it actively symbolizes her expectations about the freedom. In addition, the “blue sky” represents a sense of hope. Theses elements connect to emphasize that Mrs. Mallard successfully escapes from the cage of her marriage because of her husband’s death. Outside the open window, everything suggests Mrs. Mallard to enjoy a new life. From Mrs. Mallard’s sight, we believe that she has a type of forbidden pleasure from her husband's death, and it displayed how many pressure she experiences in her marriage. Although Richards was a kind person, he stereotypically believed that men “have a right to impose a private will” upon women. Considering the historical context, women in traditional society are commonly dominated by men. In addition, women often get troubles with protecting their rights. Like a hopeless bird, Mrs. Mallard was confined in the cage of her marriage; as a result, she is always willing to be independent and releases herself. This situation hints that Mrs. Mallard was a new woman who would not want to be the slave of traditional marriage. In “Young Goodman Brown”, Nathaniel Hawthorne expertly brings out a number of symbols which contain profound meaning and irony. The most obvious symbol is the particular names of the characters. In the story, Brown is introduced as a godly man who has an absolute faith in the human nature; however, his

Although we are believe in our faith and resist to fall into traps, the story directly illustrates that the spirit is unable to completely protect us from evil. Evil is everywhere, meaning that everybody takes the risk of becoming its victim. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the truth of the human nature. Once we admit the blackness of the human nature, we are ready to learn how to drive this unexpected aspect in our