1. A handy guide to how authors use symbols in various ways
Symbolism
A handy guide to how authors use symbols in various ways

2. The Riddle of the Sphinx
What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?
The answer is based on symbolic connections, using metaphorical imagery, and figurative language.

3. Symbolism = visual imagery
Symbolism is a short-cut through words to our visual brain…

4. Symbolism
A concrete object that represents something else (often a big abstract idea or complicated emotion).
Repetition throughout a work (motif) is how authors build a symbol.
Description, imagery, figurative language all work together to build the symbolism.

5. Intuition & cultural knowledge

6. Origins
Public symbols are time-tested, well-used, part of our cultural psyche.
Sometimes historical / cultural in origin or related to the manufacture of certain colours / products (snails shells for purple fabric pigment).
Can be tied to use in each nation (ie: green is associated with money for USA but we still understand it).
Psychology and dream interpretation - Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud 19th century codification
Often based on our figures of speech / idiom

7. Setting
Places can carry symbolic connotations (word choice hints at the author’s perceptions of place).
characters can be mis-matched to their setting, adding conflict.
Time periods have standard associations (ie: Renaissance = rebirth).
Time of day / seasons = stages of human life
Setting is not accidental- look at description, word choice, and how the author uses setting

8. More on Setting Seasons: stages of human life, nature
spring = youth, new life, growth
Summer = heat, maturation, ease
Fall = mid life, harvest
Winter = cold, dormant, aging, death
Weather: word choice, unusual events (ie: storms= tension, turbulence, trouble).
Authors match (or twist) the setting to the emotional tone, plot events, character issues, and general theme of the story / novel.

9. More on descriptions
City= civilization, sophistication, money, productivity
Country = slower, down to earth, old fashioned
Light = thinking, enlightenment, spiritual, bright
Dark = absence of goodness, devoid of religion / moral, the unknown (being “in the dark”), evil
Water = cleansing, baptism, tides, what lies beneath, flow of movement, erosion, unconscious
Fire = purification, destruction, power, uncontrolled
Consider how buildings, places, movement, geography are described.

10. Miscellaneous symbols
Animals: lions = king of the jungle;
snake = deception of the devil;
dog= man’s best friend, loyalty, domesticated;
dove = peace;
phoenix = resurrection, rebirth, renewal
Numbers can be associated with many things= depends on how they are used / cultural context,ie: THREE= father, son, holy ghost, OR mother/father/child, OR Three fates, three furies, three witches, three graces, OR…

11. Colours White: purity, innocence Black: somber, death, grief, mourning
Red: blood, love, passion, rage
Blue: peace, spirituality
Green: growth, money
Yellow: cheery, cowardice, bile
Purple: royalty, bishops, special
Brown = earthy, dull, common

12. Some ideas…
Hills / mountains= challenges, obstacles to be overcome, accomplishment
Island = isolation, loneliness, exile
Forest = dark, mysterious, hidden, can’t see the forest for the trees
Garden = Eden, growth, cultivation
Road / path = direction, journey, choices, destiny
Cliff= on the edge, danger, choices, change
Rain= cleansing, nourishment, baptism
Castle = fortress, protection, safety

13. Dictionaries
Codified /systematic explanation of what symbols mean (east / west different)
UMICH: