The Seagull Symbolism

The Giraffe takes place in a small town, in what appears to be Italy, although that can only be assumed from the names, buildings and author of the text. The city plays what could be considered an important role if you were to assume that the subtext of the story is one centered on change and progress. That being that the small town represents likely a place that is not very adaptable or open minded as is often seen in smaller more close knit communities, which may be why the story is situated there. Furthermore, aside from that, the location in Italy may also play a role in the subtext of the story if you were to interpret it as a story with a biblical relation, Italy being a country heavily influenced by the catholic religion, and containing the Vatican, the center of the catholic religion. The biblical influences can also be expanded upon if you consider that the giraffe taking refuge inside the church is deliberate, indicating that maybe the church is a clue to the giraffe being some sort of Jesus metaphor or an indication of the giraffe needing some sort of sanctuary.

The crow in Peace Like a River symbolizes most of the main characters in the book.

“A White Heron” and “The Revolt of Mother” express symbolism through the color white. The color white is prominent in the title “A White Heron”. Sylvia presents herself to

The river represents the period between life and death. Another part of this symbol is the air representing life and under the rocks and waterfall representing death. Just as the transition from life to death is in motion, so is the rushing of the water. Both have a beginning and an ending point, but the part in the middle is constantly moving, swirling and churning. As the girl loses hope for survival and the waterfall is approaching, the narrator states, “[S]he becomes part of the river” (45). The girl now crosses over the borderline of life and death, and she is about to be swallowed up by the falls of death and can never return to life. However, when the diver goes into the river to save her, he comes out saying that “he’d never enter that river again” (47). He encounters the spiritual eccentricity of the edge of death when he looks into lifeless girl’s animated eyes, and he can not fathom that experience. Another symbol that is introduced twice is the gurgle of the aquarium, which symbolizes the attempt to understand nature’s cycle of life. As she floats downstream, the girl remembers “her sixth-grade science class, the gurgle of the aquarium at the back of the room”(45). During this moment, all of her thoughts are puzzled, and she cannot understand the death awaiting her. Later on, after sleepless nights, the diver is in the empty school where “the only sound the gurgle of the aquarium” (48). This moment is the point at which he decides

The title of the play “Trifles” is a major symbol of how men viewed women in the early nineteen hundreds, something small, and of little value or importance. One of the examples of trifles within the play is the bird in the cage which symbolized Mrs. Wright and the life not only she had to live, but other women faced during this time as well. Women, as well as Mrs. Wright, felt caged in her own homes, and some were not able to associate with their friends. Women had no right to vote, or have a say so as to anything except what went on inside the home as far as cleaning, cooking, sewing, and tending to their children.

The Novel The Invention of Wings, written by the American author, Sue Monk Kidd, contains numerous examples of imperative symbolism throughout the storyline, but what may be the most significant illustration is that of which is in the title. “There was a time in Africa when people could fly” (Kidd 1), “This all what left of your wings. They nothing but these flat bones now, but one day you gon get ’em back.” (Kidd 1) being among the first lines of the novel, foreshadows what is to come. The main characters and narrators, Sarah and Handful, who are from two extremely contrasting ends of society, both have the desire to soar past social normality of the time.

Symbols of birds are first used to indicate wickedness when Nel and Helene enter Rochelle’s house for Cecile’s funeral, “...all to miss seeing her grandmother and seeing instead that painted canary who never

The plays, Trifles and A Dollhouse use the literary tool of symbolism to portray the way women were treated throughout the nineteenth century. Susan Glaspell uses the bird cage and the dead bird to signify the role and life of women in marriage and society, whereas Henrik Ibsen uses the dollhouse. These symbols allow the reader to recognize the plays main similarities in the treatment of women, such as men dismissing women as trivial and treating them like property; however, the plays portray the women’s lifestyles as different which seal their fates.

“The Seagull” is a Queensland Theatre Company production, written by Anton Chekhov in 1869, adapted and directed by Daniel Evans. The play has been adapted from its original Russian setting to fit the modern Australian context. Changes were made to the language of the script, but the characters remained virtually the same through their plight against unhappiness. Through the manipulation of symbol, tension, and language, Daniel Evans’ adaptation utilises the unique conventions of post dramatic theatre to help realise the play’s dramatic meaning. “The Seagull” focuses on the character’s perpetuating sense of misery while searching for fulfilment. It captures the reality that, in love and life, you choose your own misery.

John Steinbeck wrote “The Chrysanthemums” where the protagonist, Elisa maintains her flower garden with a flower called Chrysanthemums. In a daily routine, Elisa’s husband Henry is a typical farmer who was busy with his orchard and steers, while Elisa, a housewife tends to her garden as the chrysanthemums were shown as Elisa’s children. Written by Susan Glaspell, “Trifle” was a play about Mrs. Wright who was put through an investigation where she was the main suspect in the case of her husband‘s death. In the play “Trifles”, the canary symbolizes a child for Mrs. Wright who’s also a house wife and she took care of that bird like it was her child. The bird (canary) in “Trifles” is symbolically similar to the flowers in the Steinbeck story

In the story “Night Calls” one of the symbols is the Heron (bird) that the father takes care of. The father of the girl (narrator) had lost his wife and just got a heron to look after. The heron was a symbol of distraction for the father. The people told him that the heron was almost extinct and they would try to find a mate. Meanwhile the father took care of the bird, he was so interested in the bird in the beginning. When the girl/daughter/narrator would come home all he talked about was the heron. With that being said, the symbol is distraction by the heron.

Anton Chekhov's The Sea Gull is a Russian comedy, despite some tragedy, written in the end of the nineteenth century regarding the drama revolving around a group of people living in the countryside. The characters face the lack of satisfaction in their lives as they fail to achieve their desires. The characters desires are most about success; they desire success in love and art. Since these characters are lacking at least one of these desires, they are thus left to be loathing their lack of success in life throughout the play. Overall, The Sea Gull does exemplify the human disappointment through the characters which face disappointment or dissatisfaction with their lives and effectively portray disappointment through the characters’

The first object that Glaspell uses in the setting to add symbolic meaning is the dead canary in the cage. Gaspell uses the dead bird to symbolize how Mrs. Wrights old life as Minne Foster is dead and gone, and can never be brought back.

The flying eagle is another symbol in this film that has been exclusively embraced. The bird first appears to Molly and her mother at the beginning of the movie. Her grandma points towards the bird and says to Molly, “See that bird? That’s a spirit bird; he will always look after you.” This scene shows the bird importance to the Aboriginal. The bird gave Molly the courage to escape Moore River. While in

Symbolic objects can be observed by inquisitive and perceptive readers. Symbols fit naturally into context and can be overlooked by even the most perceptive reader. A symbol can have no apparent connection to the text, and therefore be considered as irrational, but the symbol's relation to the object is often typical for what it stands for. However, the main goal in using symbolism is to grasp a more complex meaning beyond its natural state. Glaspell's use of a birdcage is an apparent connection to Mrs. Wright's life on the farm with her husband. While Mr. Wright works on the house farm, Mrs. Wright is held captive; as a caged animal, alone to fulfill wifely duties. In agreement, a composed analysis by Ariang Bangga on Glaspell's Trifles explains how, "Traditional beliefs have held women captive for years. In Trifles, [readers] clearly [see] that there is an obvious distinction between men’s and woman’s role" (Ariang Bangga 1). The bird cage signifies Mr. Wright's treatment and harshness toward his wife to prevent Minnie from socializing with the outside world. Due to his cruelty, Minnie is like the trapped bird imprisoned by traditional male dominance. With that being said, another object of significance is brought forth, that being the bird. Glaspell strategically places symbols for readers to form their own suggested significance. In this matter, the bird is only allowed to wonder within its cage and depend completely on its owner. Relatively, Minnie is conformed to housekeeping matters and what Mr. Wright allows. Turning back to the birdcage that the two women found later in the play, it was found already broken without a bird inside. Marisarah’s article, "A Study of Symbols," suggests that the bird was removed roughly, resulting in the cage breaking. "It implies what just happened to Minnie's life, which she can finally [break away] from a cold and hard husband with a rough way too"