Symbolism — Definition, Purpose, and Examples
What is symbolism?
Symbolism is a literary device that refers to the use of symbols that stand for something beyond their literal meaning. Words, objects, actions, characters, and abstract ideas can all be symbolic, as they embody a range of ideas that extend beyond a surface-level understanding.
There are two main types of symbols: universal and context-based.
Universal symbols are culturally accepted and need no explanation regarding what they represent. No single symbol is entirely universal, as an item can signify an idea in one location but not in another (e.g.., the American flag representing freedom).
Context-based symbols rely on their context and cannot be understood without the material from which they originate. Therefore, the symbol would not make sense if referenced outside the source material.
William Goldings’ Lord of the Flies contains both universal and context-based symbols:
Glasses: One of the main characters in the novel (Piggy) wears glasses, which become an important plot device. Piggy provides rational thought; however, once his glasses break, the unsupervised group of boys stranded on an island falls into chaos. Golding incorporates the universal symbol of glasses to represent clear vision and thought. Upon their destruction, the boys act solely based on instinct.
Conch: At the start of the novel, the protagonist (Ralph) comes across a conch shell. Blowing into the conch creates a loud trumpet-like noise that attracts the boys stranded on the island. Therefore, the conch comes to represent organization. Eventually, one of the boys destroys the conch, ultimately fracturing the group’s unity. Golding’s use of the conch as a symbol of unity only makes sense in the context of the novel.
The symbolist movement began with a group of French poets in the late 19th century, but artists have used visual religious symbols in works of art for centuries.
What is the purpose of symbolism?
Whether in movies, songs, literature, or poetry, symbols can add emotion and imagery, define characters, and connect themes.
Add emotion: Symbols can help elicit an emotional response and create a lasting impression on a reader.
"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe: In the short story, Poe incorporates the symbol of a beating heart to illustrate the protagonist's guilt.
Add imagery: Symbols enhance imagery as a means of illustrating complex themes.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: Through the use of the ring, Tolkien provides a better understanding of the corrupting nature of power.
Define characters: Symbols help describe the intangible attributes characters possess.
Greek Mythology's Tiresias: In Greek mythology, Tiresias plays the role of a blind prophet. His blindness symbolizes his ability to see beyond the physical world, allowing him to envision the "truth."
Connect themes: Repeating symbols can help connect themes throughout a novel or poem.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock symbolizes the American dream and connects to the money and materialism needed to achieve it.
Symbolism examples
The use of universal symbols occurs in books, movies, songs, poems, and everyday life:
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| White Flag | surrender | Civil War soldiers would wave a white flag before collecting their wounded |
| Skull and Crossbones | danger | Danger signs |
| Red Roses | love | Valentine’s Day |
| Owl | wisdom | Owl from Winnie the Pooh |
| Dog | loyalty | Dug from Up |
| Phoenix | rebirth | Fawkes from Harry Potter |
| Colors | denotes emotions | Red: passion; anger
Pink: love Blue: sadness; peace Green: envy Yellow: happiness; joy |
Examples of symbolism are also in pop culture, with a variety of popular symbols incorporated into various popular movies:
| Movie | Symbol | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Wizard of Oz | Yellow Brick Road | The yellow brick road illustrates the path to success and happiness. Reaching the end allows Dorothy to fulfill her goal of returning home. |
| Disney's Up | Balloons | The balloons represent the protagonist’s (Carl’s) hopes and dreams, as they will take him to Paradise Falls, where he and his wife planned on traveling. |
| The Avengers | Incredible Hulk | The Incredible Hulk exemplifies the contrast prevalent within every human – the battle between chaos (the Hulk) and order (Bruce Banner). |
Symbolism in literature
The following works of literature incorporate the use of symbols and symbolic meaning:
| Novel | Symbol | Quote | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne | Scarlet A | “The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, —so much power to do, and power to sympathize, —that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.” | While the scarlet “A” literally identifies Hester Prynne’s adulterous actions, it transforms into a symbol that highlights her strength and ability to become a woman others see as “able.” |
| To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee | Mockingbird | “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” | Within the novel, the mockingbird symbolizes innocence. Killing a mockingbird, therefore, represents the death of innocence. |
| Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling | Lightning scar | “[Voldemort] saw himself in you before he had ever seen you, and in marking you with that scar, he did not kill you, as he intended, but gave you powers, and a future, which have fitted you to escape him not once, but four times so far – something that neither your parents . . . ever achieved." | The scar represents the strength of Harry's mother's protection. |
Symbolism in poetry
The following poems incorporate the use of symbols:
| Poem | Symbol | Quote | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe | Raven | "And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting / On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; / And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, / And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; / And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor / Shall be lifted—nevermore!" | The raven represents the speaker's grief; its continuous presence highlights how the loss of his love (Lenore) will be never-ending, as it will always live in the darkest regions of his mind. |
| "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost | Wall | "But at spring mending-time we find them there. / I let my neighbor know beyond the hill; / And on a day we meet to walk the line / And set the wall between us once again. / We keep the wall between us as we go." | The wall represents the division between two attitudes (personified as the two men). Without the wall, the two men would never interact, as nothing would need to be fixed; however, the wall itself separates the neighbors, creating an ironic barrier that paradoxically brings them together. |
| "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes | Staircase | "Well, son, I'll tell you: / Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. / It's had tacks in it, / And splinters, / And boards torn up, / And places with no carpet on the floor- / Bare. / But all the time / I'se been a-climbin' on." | The staircase symbolizes the path the speaker's mother took throughout her life – one of heartache and strife. However, she continued to climb, indicating the mother's lesson to her son – the importance of perseverance. |