Symbolism In A. S. Byatt's The Thing In The Forest

In many fairytales, we are given characters who set out on an adventure to better themselves whether they know that they are on one or not. In A.S. Byatt’s “The Thing in the Forest” we are taken on such an adventure, but this is more than just a children’s fairytale. Through figurative language we are shown that the main characters, Penny and Primrose, are dealing with more than just a creature in the forest, and that with this use of symbols as a way to express a larger meaning to objects in the story, we better understand how Penny and Primrose are dealing with being away from their family during a time of war in England.

Further into the novel, Patrick Ness uses the monster’s literal figure, a yew tree, to symbolize Conor’s healing process. The Yew tree is an ancient tree which originated from Europe. It grows in the depths of darkness and usually sets a eerie mood. The yew tree monster is said to be poisonous yet healing, it’s berries and leaves carry toxins as well. In A Monster Calls, the yew tree has come to heal Conor rather than his mother. Healing Conor requires guidance, patients, and risks - that is exactly what the monster provides for the teen.The morning after the monster visits Conor, there were leaves and berries scattered on his bedroom floor. Conor is quick to gather the bits and pieces and discard them into the bottom of the trashcan. This scene illustrates how Conor is willingly avoiding the poison and pain in his life. The act of pushing the objects onto the bottom of the bin in a discreet manner symbolizes Conor concealing the truth from his active conscious. Since the monster acknowledges that Connor is in great denial, even though Conor’s conscious holds the truth, the monster aids the teen through the sharing of stories to help him shift from denial to acceptance and understanding. The monster makes an agreement with Connor in which he tells him three tales and Conor must ultimately share his nightmare which is also his truth. The series of storytelling that the monster assembles together allows Conor to gain knowledge of the perceptions of good and bad. Conor is

(AGG) As said by Manly Hall, “Symbolism is the language of the Mysteries. By symbolism men have ever sought to communicate to each other those thoughts that transcend the imitation of language”, and there are many signs of symbolism in the book Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fischer Staples, especially involving the stars. (BS-1) Stars do symbolize many different elements in the book, but a literary view, or surface view, on the stars, as well as each character's personal connection to stars is evident as well. (BS-2) Moving more into the symbolism of stars, they convey the mental state of Najmah throughout the book. (BS-3) Not only are the stars used in a more in-depth meaning for Najmah, there are also major instances for Nusrat,

In The Thing in the Forest there is a great deal of symbolism. For example the whole story is a symbol for the war going on at that time, WWII. In the story it talks about how the girls and a number of other children went on a train to escape the cities that were most likely being hit hard by the war. There are two girls that have plenty of different meanings to them that can mean so many things, the house that they were at for a while, and of course the “thing” that also has many meanings to it.

(AGG) As famous author Stephen King once said, “Symbolism exists to adorn and enrich, not to create an artificial sense of profundity”(Goodreads.com), author of Under the Persimmon Tree, Suzanne Fisher Staples, manages to use symbolism to excellently portray the changes of main character Najmah throughout the book. (BS-1)The author uses a baby goat in the first section to symbolize Najmah’s childhood identity, therefore, when the goat was taken away from her, it was like a part of herself was being taken away as well. (BS-2)After losing her childhood, the author uses a forced haircut to symbolize Najmah’s femininity being taken away as well. (BS-3) Once her childhood and femininity were taken away, Najmah felt that she lost everything. However, the author uses a second haircut, given by Nusrat, to show Najmah regaining trust, confidence in herself, and accepting comfort, thus regaining part of her old self. (TS) In Under the Persimmon Tree, the author uses symbolism to show how the main character, Najmah, loses and eventually regains her childhood, femininity, and old self throughout the book.

(AGG) Symbols are used everyday to explain hidden or subtle meanings. (BS-1) In the book Under the Persimmon Tree, the author uses symbolism to explain how the stars comfort the characters into believing that their families are still out there. (BS-2) Later in the book, she also connects the stars with the characters through fear and loss. (BS-3)

This symbolic figure or symbol was a probably the biggest one from this book. Its actual symbol is not a physical thing but rather something within the boys on the island. In this story, this symbol is represented as their fear. Not only that but also their darker side of who they really are and also represents the savage each of them

The act of unconditional giving is held in high regards by many cultures as the highest form of love. From birth on, parents are there for all the ups and downs in their child’s life. Shel Silverstein, author of The Giving Tree, has written a story about the representation of the relationship between a mother and child. In the The Giving Tree, children are welcomed to realize the effects their mother has on their life that one seems to fail to appreciate as they adventure throughout life. Silverstein uses symbolism to emphasize that throughout all stages of life no matter how old, busy, or tired one is, a mom will always be willing to give them unconditional love even when she has nothing else to offer.

The curiosity of humanity is presented quite well in “The Thing in the Forest”. The forest in all of its danger and beauty brings forward the hidden knowledge in humans of the wild. When two little girls are taken to the countryside during World War Two, they venture into the nearby forest. What they encounter is an unidentified creature, and the image of it shocks them to their core and changes their lives. Whether this creature was a part of their childish imagination or an exaggerated version of the truth is left unknown to the reader. I believe the first hint is in the time period itself. These little girls were living during the Second World War, and were experiencing one of the many consequences of it. To protect them, children living

In many stories, there are symbols that contribute to the meaning of that story. However, most symbols do not come right out and show themselves. Symbols are details from the story that need a close eye to inspect in order to find the meaning of them. A lot of the time, symbols have one meaning that they all come together to make. In Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”, the three most prominent symbols are the bead curtains, the placement of the story in between two railroad tracks, and the hills around them.

At first blush, “The Thing in the Forest” may seem like a simple story about two girls’ imaginations running wild, whereas, upon deeper reading and analyzation, it reveals itself to be a story about the horrors of war from the eyes of a child. The theme of “The Thing in the Forest” is that war destroys literally everything in its path, one of the most horrifying being the destruction of innocence. The symbolism of the Worm, the setting of the story and characterization of Alys all support this. Symbolism plays a very large role in the story and defining the theme. The most obvious of the symbols in the story is the eldritch horror the two main characters come across in the woods.

The first symbol that the author works into the story is that of the landscape. This is important to the story because

The difference between now and the early 1900 is massive. Back in the early 1900 human slavery was pretty common as represented in the book. Freedom has been given as year went by and in today’s generation most countries do give freedom and tries to treat them well and equally.

(AGG) Many authors use symbolism to show the development of a character, like the author of Under The Persimmon Tree does. (BS-1) In the beginning of the novel, Najmah changes from a childlike girl to an adult-like woman and the author uses the bukri, or baby goat, to symbolize this change. (BS-2) When Mada-Jan and Habib die, Shaheed is born and Golestan Najmah dies and the author uses Najmah’s first haircut to give a deeper meaning to this change. (BS-3) After Najmah meets Nusrat, she develops into another version of herself and the author uses another haircut to add another level beneath this literal change. (TS) The author uses symbolism to show Najmah’s development throughout the novel.

(AGG) As Mae Jemison, the astronaut once said, “I still look up at the stars, and it gives me hope, and it gives me energy. I think one of the things that we have to think about it is, we are all part of this universe.” (BS-1) In Under the Persimmon Tree, Najmah’s family caused a surface connection to the stars that the character was aware of. (BS-2) The stars were especially reflective of Najmah’s state of mind during her physically and mentally taxing journey to Torkham. (BS-3) The author puts value on the symbol, with things such as decisions and major events in the novel. (TS) In Suzanne Fisher Staples’ Under the Persimmon Tree, the author uses the stars as a symbol to convey Najmah’s hopefulness.