Symbolism and Allegory

[End of Section]

A symbol is an ordinary object, event, person, or animal to which we have attached a special meaning.

What Is a Symbol?

Public symbols

• have been inherited, or handed down over time

• show up in art and literature

Where Do We Get Symbols?

• are widely known

Note

[End of Section]

Invented symbols

• come about when writers make a character, object, or event stand for some human concern

• sometimes become well known and gain the status of public symbol

Where Do We Get Symbols?

Writers use symbols to

• suggest layers of meaning that a simple, literal statement could never convey

• speak more powerfully to the reader’s emotions and imagination

• make their stories rich and memorable

Symbols in Literature

Allegory—a story in which characters, setting, and actions stand for something beyond themselves, such as

• abstract ideas

• moral qualities

• historical figures or events

Allegory

Allegories

• can be read on two levels: literal and symbolic

• are often intended to teach a moral lesson or make a comment about goodness and vice

Allegory

Characters and places in allegories often have names that reveal their symbolic significance:

Characters Places

DeathVanityGood DeedsIgnorance

Celestial CityVanity FairHill of DifficultyValley of Fear

Allegory