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Symbolism as a literary tool essay
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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 through black spruce the existence of beaver plays a great role, it explains to the reader that it symbolizes family and what family is all about. In the same way do the first nation people in the book and people in Will’s life live, they stick together and up to one other if one is being threatened they defend him. The beaver’s build their homes and live together, they stick together like family unless when times are tough and they can’t stay together like they are being ambushed. After Will pulls an attempt to kill Marius everyone knows Will did it but they still all stand up for him and protect him. This is due to the fact that Marius brings drugs into the community and gives it to the teens in the community, which causes disrupts in the community in the end. The...
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...rst nation individual and not having one of these can cause many problems to the outcome of the that individual later in their life. The symbol of Beaver symbolizing family and what it is all about, how first nation people stick together shows us the struggle that Will and Annie go through to protect their family and who they love. The Symbol of bear showing protection and love conveys to the reader that when Will had those bear’s it was them that defended him from Marius and his gang. Lastly but not least, the symbol of goose in the novel shows freedom and taking on a long difficult journey and not giving up. The book Through Black Spruce written by Joseph Boyden tells the readers that the symbols present in the book shows the readers the struggles and hardships the characters in the novel are facing, which in turn helps the reader understand its own internal self.
From the Deep Woods to Civilization should be an intriguing read for anybody interested in Native American history. It gives an introspective look into the adjustments to society many had to make at that time. Eastman's own identity follows a parabolic curve from the beginning to the end. He rediscovers his Sioux identity after questioning it. The book implores us to consider the tactics, struggles, and other problems that Indian people have had to go through to achieve success despite the odds being stacked against
One of the more obvious symbols used in the novel is a tree. Cross-culturally, it
An image of a dead skull indicates that a substance is poisonous because it happens to be a symbol. Throughout our lives, symbols are used to interpret meanings in an easier way. Similar to how trees represent life and death. They are a constant source of renewal. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Speak, Laurie uses the power of symbolism to expound Melinda’s progress and growth throughout her bildungsroman story by using Melinda’s art class’ project: trees.
Throughout the story there is a constant comparison of White culture and Indian culture. It begins with the narrator noticing a difference in landscaping between the two cultures. ." . . there is always beauty in order. . . rows of growing things. . . beauty in captivity." (Whitecloud 116) Symbols in nature play an enormous part on this story. Here the narrator is describing the White culture; disciplined, orderly, enslaved. In the next paragraph he goes on to counter the White culture with his own Indian culture saying, "Later, when the first snows...
In this foreword, former U.S, president Jimmy Carter stresses the importance of the preservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as he argues that this refuge is not only the last remain of American wilderness but also a "symbol of our national heritage."Carter builds up his argument to persuade his audiences by using logos, a personal anecdote, and pathos.Carter begins by recounting in a nostalgic way his experience of hiking and camping in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with his wife. He describes that experience as " one of the most unforgettable and humbling experiences of our lives," to illustrate the wonderfulness of the refuge. Carter also gives detailed descriptions of the wild animals and plants of which he encountered during his hike, saying that there is a "timeless quality about this great land." Upon reading these descriptions, the audiences will involuntarily create an image of the refuge that is similar to that an untouched-by-human-civilization paradise which, in the modern world, seems to exist only in fairytales.
In the beginning of this story, one expects for the characters to follow the concepts that they represent. This story displays one man's journey to leave his home and comfort zone in order to fully explore his curiosity. He goes off into a forest and undergoes a life changing experience there. He encounters three different things that set him on the path to the journey of knowledge. This forest was symbolic of an assessment of strength, bravery, and survival. It took determination to survive in the forest and the young person entering into it would not emerge the same. Conversely, this story is more representative than realistic and the peril is of the character. This story is more of a vision or conscious daydream th...
A.S. Byatt uses symbolism in her story “The Thing in the Forest” to show how children in England during World War II, like herself, felt and reacted to the events that they knew where bad but didn’t understand. This can easily be shown through the sequencing of the plot, the deeper meanings behind characters and places, and the post effects it had the main characters.
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 symbolism within the novel added another level of meaning to an already meaningful work. One important symbol used throughout the plot was the Forest Sauvage. The forest was symbolic for the Wart’s future. Every time that the Wart entered the forest he always met both adventure and great danger. Whether his adventure with Robin Wood, or his near death by the hands of Madame Mim, the Wart always faced new challenges and incredible peril when trekking through the forest. As the Wart ages, this reality of glory and danger will only heighten as he encounters greater enemies and attains greater power.
Jean Hegland’s curious future fantasy Into the Forest challenges the reader. It confronts two teenage girls, Nell and Eva, with an extraordinary series of catastrophes, and yet seems to seek a positive message in the courageous and almost implausibly stoic way in which they deal with isolation, near-starvation, rape and death. Hegland relies in part on the behavioral models presented by the girls’ parents, first present and then absent, to explain their exceptional ability to survive conditions of life, which most people would find intolerable.
Flannery O'Connor is a very complex writer in terms of her use of symbolism in addition to the elements of the grotesque and blackly humorous. O'Connor’s story, "A View of the Woods," is symbolically complicated. The story focuses on the relationship of Mary Fortune Pitts, a little girl, and her grandfather, Mr Fortune. The story is one of conflict that mounts to tragedy in the end. The conflict is basically between Mary Fortune and her grandfather over the sale of some ground that Mary Fortune finds important for her father's grazing of his cattle and for the view of the woods. You might look carefully at the woods in this story because they assume a symbolic significance similar to the woods in "Greenleaf."
Symbolism is used to provide an in-depth meaning to An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. The gray eyes are used in the story to symbolize the difference between what is real and what his mind has made up in order to protect him from the alarming truth. In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, the bridge is used to represent the separation of the north and the south. Bierce uses the driftwood mentioned in the story as a representation of Farquhar’s fading reality which occurs during the time of his hanging. Throughout the short story symbolism is used by the author to create many symbolic events.
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.
Sarah Orne Jewett’s story “A White Heron” tells of a young girl named Sylvia who lives with her grandmother in a rural area because she is “afraid of folks” (1598). She encountered a hunter one day when she was guiding her milking cow home. The hunter is an ornithologist who is seeking for a rare bird: a white heron. This gave Sylvia’s heart “a wild beat (1600)” because she knew of the rare bird. The hunter offered Sylvia and her grandmother ten dollars if they could aid him in finding the location of the bird. Forgetting about sleep, Sylvia was determined on finding this bird for the hunter and thought of a pine-tree that was the last of its generation. She believed climbing this great pine-tree will help her locate the white heron and please the hunter’s desire of finding the rare bird. Sylvia’s journey up the tree is significant in Sarah Orne Jewett’s story “A White Heron” because it shows that she is generous, one with nature, and the reader gets to understand Sylvia’s point of view.
The native woman represents the whole Black community and the beauty of the wilderness, both of which were invaded by the ‘civilised’ whites. She is the passionate reality, being “savage and superb, wild-eyed and magnificent”, reminding the whites of the Black heritage and their own culture (jewellery). The gesture of throwing her arms into the sky may symbolise a dumb outcry to God to restore the original Time when the land was not raided and there was peace and freedom (“wild sorrow...dumb pain”). The lack of words which remain unsaid, only reiterates her appearance and the message sent by her behaviour.