Symbols in stories play a very crucial role in connecting a story with the main theme that it wants to convey to its readers. Similar to the use of pictures in a story, symbols serve the purpose of cutting across certain themes and ideas to its readers, which otherwise is more complex to be explained by words. It travels with the story giving it more profound meaning and depth and helps the reader to use their creativity and imagination to think beyond what is said in the context. In both, C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Karen Levin’s Hana’s Suitcase: A True Story, the authors use symbolic objects to make the story interesting and appealing to young readers and help them relate to it better. While in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the author focuses on the wardrobe and the lamppost as symbols of entry and exit that …show more content…
The first symbol that C.S Lewis introduces in the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the wardrobe. Lucy is almost immediately attracted to the wardrobe because it is the only object present, in the otherwise deserted room. Even though all the other children leave the room, she stays behind because “she thought it would be worth while trying the door of the wardrobe” (9). The curiosity of the wardrobe creates in her, a want to experience the smell and feel of the fur coats that are hanging in it. The wardrobe creates in Lucy a magical feeling and she ventured further into exploring it, only to realize that the back of the wardrobe opened into the woods of Narnia- a world of fantasy. Another interesting factor that the author emphasizes in the story is the complexity and ambiguity of the
During the process of writing literature, and for works of fiction especially, authors will often utilize a literary device known as symbolism, in order to further engage readers and add a deeper layer of meaning to their story. Any object, person, or situation, can be used as a symbol provided it represents an additional concept or abstract idea apart from its literal meaning. In several fictitious stories, the element of symbolism plays a crucial role in helping writers extend the meaning behind their works beyond the prosaic. Two notable pieces of literature that skilfully demonstrate how symbolic imagery can enhance the narrative include, Frankenstein and “Goblin Market”—written by Mary Shelley and Christina Rossetti, respectively. Within
" Symbolism enables us to tell a story one way, while trying to say another. I believe Tim O'Brien has achieved success in doing so in "The Things They Carried. " Works Cited The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien Book Notes.
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.
Margaret Laurence's A Bird in the House is a collection of short stories that is rich in symbols and similes. Descriptions like "claw hand", "flyaway manner" and "hair bound grotesquely like white-fingered wings" are found abundantly in the writer's novel. The Oxford English Dictionary defines symbols as, "something that stands for, represents, or denotes something else (not by exact resemblance, but by vague suggestion, or by some accidental or conventional relation)" (reference). Yet, there is nothing coincidental about Margaret Laurence's diction and her usage of symbols in "A Bird in the House" and "The Mask of the Bear". These revealing titles effectively foreshadow the plot and character conflicts that occur in their stories.
In the book The Giver, Louis Lowry uses symbolism to induce the reader to think about the significance of an object or character in the book. She uses symbolism using objects or characters to represent something when she wants readers to think about its significance. She chooses not to tell her readers directly, but indirectly, by using symbolism. For example, she used light eyes, Gabriel and the sled as types of symbols with different meanings.
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.
As most proficient authors are aware, the process of developing themes within a work of literature is one of the most important duties of a writer. Authors have numerous methods available to them for this task, including devices such as symbolism. Ken Follett, author of The Pillars of the Earth, uses symbolism frequently throughout his novel (which is set in 12th century England and follows the dramatic events surrounding the construction of a cathedral). Follett employs several symbols, including the cathedral, the English monarchy, and fire, to aid him in conveying themes concerning the power of faith in achieving one’s goals.
A stop sign, a dollar sign, an emoji-life is full of symbols that indicate direction, represent things of value, express emotion, or accomplish any number of other purposes. In the same way, short stories and novels contain symbols that allow the reader to understand the story elements at a deeper level and, often, to apply meaning to his or her own life. Three short story authors – Saki (H.H. Munro), William Faulkner, and James Hurst – employ symbolism as a means of enriching their readers’ literary experiences.
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...
In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis, Lucy wants to tell Edmund what Aslan has done for him while Susan does not. Susan, using her power as the older sister, forbids Lucy to reveal the truth to Edmund. Susan does not make a wise decision when denying Lucy the choice to tell Edmund about Aslan’s sacrifice. Although the truth might cause Ed-mund feelings of regret or guilt, he has the right to know the truth. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Edmund finds out about the sacrifice, so Susan’s decision to hide the truth from him ultimately fails. Edmund feels sadness and anger toward his sisters once he realizes what they did. If Susan had allowed Lucy tell him earlier, there may have been far less conflict between family members.
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is a children’s fantasy novel by Clive Staples (C.S.) Lewis, the second of seven installments in his The Chronicles of Narnia series. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe may seem at first like an intriguing story of sacrifice, heroes, and good overcoming evil. However, upon further review, it is easy to see that C.S. Lewis was trying to tell the story of Jesus Christ through this story. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe can be seen as a religious allegory. In the story, Aslan, the lion king of Narnia, represents Jesus, the evil White Witch represents the devil, and the children represent people like us.
Symbolism gives deeper meaning to relatively ordinary objects, animals, and people. It is repeatedly used in literature to get across a deep meaning without fully explaining it in words, enhancing the story by making it flow smoother. In addition, it can be used to hint at key aspects of the story which helps the reader to better understand symbols. In mystery books it is utilized to help grasp what is meant and to better understand not only the situation, but the book as a whole. In the book, “ The Hound of the Baskervilles” by Arthur Conan Doyle, the moor, the hound of Baskervilles, and Baskervilles Hall are the most prominent symbols in the book.
The Chronicles of Narnia are veritably the most popular writings of C.S. Lewis. They are known as children’s fantasy literature, and have found favor in older students and adults alike, even many Christian theologians enjoy these stories from Lewis; for there are many spiritual truths that one can gleam from them, if familiar with the Bible. However, having said this, it is noteworthy to say that Lewis did not scribe these Chronicles for allegorical didactics of the Christian faith, but wrote them in such a well-knit fashion that young readers might understand Christian doctrine through captivating fantasy and thus gain an appreciation for it. With this in mind, and in the interest of this assignment, the purpose of this paper is an attempt to analyze one of the many doctrines of the Christian faith from The Lion, The Witch, And, The Wardrobe (LWW), namely, temptation and how Lewis illustrates it through an individual character, Edmund.
The wardrobe is significant for several other reasons. First, one cannot reach Narnia if he or she is seeking to either prove or disprove its existence. When Lucy brings her siblings to the wardrobe with the express goal of proving Narnia's existence, t...
A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. (2009 Open-Ended Question for AP English Literature and Composition).