Symbols In Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

Symbolism in literature is using an object to portray a different, deeper meaning in a story. Symbols represent ideas or qualities that the author has maneuvered into his or her story that has meaning. There can be multiple symbols in a story or just one. It is up to the reader to interpret the meaning of the symbols and their significance to the story. While reading a story, symbols may not become clear until the very end, once the climax is over, and the falling action is covered. In William Faulkner’s, “A Rose for Emily,” there are multiple examples of symbolism that occur throughout the story.

Symbolism is a major literary device that helps people see a book through symbols that often have a deeper meaning. A symbol is used to explain something in a different way, using images, objects, etc. instead of just saying it in words. As you search for a deeper meaning in a work of art or literature it can help you understand the author’s intentions and the deeper significance of a work. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, symbols help reinforce the major themes of the book.

Symbolism is used in many ways and writers use symbolism to “enhance their writing.” It can give their work “more richness and color and can make the meaning of the work deeper.” In literary work the actions of the characters, words, action, place, or event has a deeper meaning in the context of the whole story. The reader needs to look see the little things like a dove symbolizes peace, or like the red rose stands for romance. Mostly everything can have a symbolism meaning to it. For instance the flag symbolizes freedom and the stars represent the states. Even some signs are symbols like when a beaker has a skull with a bones placed like an ‘x’ behind it symbolizes that it’s toxic or bad. When people see the red light when driving that’s

In the contemporary film “Stranger Than Fiction” by Marc Forster, Harold Crick, the main character is being written about in a book without him knowing that the voice in his head was the narrator. To make things worse the author does not even know that her main character is real and that everything she writes down happens to him in real life. Symbolism is vital and it adds depth and emotion to the film by making the film more relatable to the audience, makes a greater impact, instead of just being a scene that is straight through, it is more flexible, and it is also a crucial part of the plot as one symbol can drive the characters to be more dynamic and last the length of the whole plot.

We may not realize it, but most of us use symbol’s everyday, such as emojis or slang like “lol’ or “jk.” We use these symbols to communicate with people things that may be hard to explain in words. The definition of a symbol is a mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process. “The First Part Last” is a book written by Angela Johnson. It is about Bobby, a teenager, who gets his girlfriend pregnant, and the journey Bobby has leading up to the birth of his daughter, Feather, and how he changes or matures after Feather is born. Throughout “The First Part Last” the author uses many symbols to convey things about Bobby. Three of those symbols are the wall that Bobby graffities and what he graffities on

We would define symbol as "an object that represents an idea" and an idea is not physical. In the first part last, there are many symbols that represent coming of age. For my first example, there is a red balloon in the first chapter given to the main character, Bobby, by his girlfriend, Nia. The red balloon represents coming of age because balloons are associated with toddlers or young children, also showing how nia is pregnant. It is sort of ironic because Bobby is sixteen, showing that he's has grown out of liking balloons unlike the associated age group

In the novel Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson uses creative techniques to share the story of Melinda Sordino. The author uses symbolism and foreshadowing to relay the Melinda’s feelings and thoughts throughout the book. Symbolism is visible throughout the story. It is not obvious at first, but it is there. When Melinda chooses a tree to draw the whole year in art, it symbolizes that Melinda is the tree.

Alfred Whitehead, an English mathematician and philosopher, once said, “Symbolism is no mere idle fancy or corrupt degeneration: it is inherent in the very texture of human life.” In almost every story, there is some form of symbolism being used. Sometimes it is used in the characters, the setting, certain objects, the weather patterns, etc. Not only does symbolism have a great effect on the story itself, but it affects how the story is perceived. “Young Goodman Brown”, “The Minister’s Black Veil”, and “The Birthmark” are all full of many forms of symbolism. The themes of these stories are shown through the symbolism of the characters, their traits, and the objects.

Firstly, an example a symbol is the turkey project. Around Thanksgiving, Melinda wasn’t having the best holiday with her parents arguing and rambling over a turkey. She saw the turkey as a key part in her family’s relationship, which was destroyed. From there, Melinda then decided to do a project on it which resulted in Mr. Freeman commenting,“I see a girl caught the remains of a holiday gone bad with the flesh picked off day after day as the carcass dries out. The knife and fork are obviously middle class responsibilities. The palm tree is a nice touch. A broken dream, perhaps” (65). Given this piece of evidence, it is strong because Mr. Freeman

Symbols are important in each story to define the theme. Close observation of the symbols within each story proves to one their

A fundamental aspect of literature can be applied using symbols. That is, symbolism helps not only readers to discover crucial facts but also allows the author to express important themes. “Everyday Use,” written by Alice Walker, involves symbols to better explain the relationship between two sisters, their mother, and their culture. Symbols such as the quilt, the yard, and even the title depict the struggles and conflicts endured by this family and their culture. “These are all pieces of dresses Grandma used to wear.

Symbolism is a literary technique that is used to clarify the author's intent. Sometimes it is used to great effect, while other times it only seems to muddle the meaning of a passage. In "Young Goodman Brown," Nathaniel Hawthorne uses objects and people as symbols to allegorically reveal his message to the reader.

Another symbol is Aylmer's dream. His dream can be considered as a foreshadow. He has a dream in where he is during the procedure of taking the birthmark out of Georgiana's face, but he cannot do it. He starts to cut deeper and deeper with no success. We as readers know that that action of cutting and cutting will lead to fatal end, but we do not know if Aylmer knows it. He probably knows it consciously or subconsciously. The dream shows Aylmer's arrogance, his obsession about science and pursuit of perfection, because he ignores the dream and its connotations.

German writer Gertrud von Le Fort once said, "Symbols are the language of something invisible spoken in the visible world." The Glass Menagerie author, Tennessee Williams, does just that by using symbols to show the main themes in the play. Some of the main themes, represented by symbols, Williams uses are memories, living in the past, hope, feeling trapped, insecurity, and adventure and escape. Writers use symbols to help bring meaning and emotion to the story. Symbolism helps the play or story become more powerful and memorable to the viewer or reader.

What is a symbol, what does it symbolize, and how is it supposed to be interpreted? These are all areas that are going to be discussed. A symbol is an object or event in a story in which the reader feels has a deeper meaning. An example of this could be a flower given from one person to another, more times than not, this is a symbol of love. The meaning of the symbol varies based upon the perspective of the reader.