English 10 / Unit 4: Theme, Symbol and Allegory
4.3 Symbolism
Notes
A symbol is a concrete object, person, place or action that stands for an abstract idea.
- Conventional symbols have shared meanings: a dove (peace), a skull (death).
- Literary symbols gain meaning inside a specific text. In Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter (1850), the letter A begins as a mark of shame but gradually takes on new meanings.
- Clues to a symbol: it is repeated, emphasized, linked to a character's emotions, or appears at key moments.
- In Shelley's "Ozymandias" (1818), a ruined statue in the desert, with the boast "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!", symbolizes the fall of human power and pride.
Practice
In "Ozymandias," the broken statue in an empty desert mainly symbolizes:
The ruler's boast survives, but his empire has vanished.
Which detail is most likely a literary symbol?
It repeats at emotional moments, signaling deeper meaning.
A dove appearing at the end of a war novel is an example of a:
The dove has a widely shared meaning.
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