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Essay on symbolism in literature
Importance of symbolism in literature
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In somewhere in the darkness by Walter Myers, darkness symbolizes sadness and hatre. For example, when crab get’s caught by the police, “Hey,man” -- he took a deep breath-- “I’m sorry”. I know, daddy”, Jimmy said, “I know”. This means Jimmy accepts crab of being his father. (Myers 161). Darkness can also symbolize Hatred. For example, When Jimmy and crab argue, “He looked at crab, searching the unreal silhouette of white distant sky, and looked for someone he loved, and all he saw was the darkness of the man.”(Myers 154). This means Jimmy doesn’t see crab as his father but as the man that abandoned him. In conclusion, that’s why in somewhere in the darkness by Walter Myers, Darkness symbolizes sadness and hatred.
The first two lines of the poem set the mood of fear and gloom which is constant throughout the remainder of the poem. The word choice of "black" to describe the speaker's face can convey several messages (502). The most obvious meaning ...
Parker seems to see the dark as a displacement. When you feel disconnected from everyone else and don’t share their ideas it makes you feel isolated from the rest of the world. He experienced this and felt as though he “...had lost the secret decoder ring
Color is used very effectively as a tool of symbolism in Heart of Darkness. Colors, especially black and white, are used to symbolize evil (black) and good (white). Other colors are also used, although less often than black and white. Throughout the story, people are thought to have white souls or black souls depending on their innate “goodness” or “badness” or the role they are fulfilling at the time. The color of a person’s soul is often contrasted to the color of their skin. A black- souled, white-skinned person is thought to be evil and dishonest. “I met a white man in such an unexpected elegance of getup…” (Conrad p.21). This demonstrates how a white man was not expected to be a good person. Elegance of dress was unexpected because the man was white. In comparison, a white-souled, black-skinned person is thought to be truthful and full of integrity. “An athletic black belonging to some coast tribe and educated by my poor predecessor….thought all the world of himself.” (Conrad p.45). People are described as black with hatred regardless of skin color. This is further evidence of black being used synonymously with evil. Black isn’t just used to describe evil people. “Often far away, I thought of these two, guarding the door of Darkness, knitting black wool as for a warm pall…” (Conrad p. 14.) The symbolism of black wool at the door of Darkness is clearly pointing to evil, and further supports black as evil. Heath 2 Colors other than black and white are used to describe moods and attitudes past the basic good and evil. Red signifies industry. “There was a vast amount of red - good to see at any time because one knows that some real work is done in there.” (Conrad p.13). Yellow is seen as a cowardly color. “I was going into the yellow. Dead in the center.” (Conrad p.13). Pale denotes Death. It is also used this way in the Bible, “the Pale horse and his rider Death”, Revelations 6:8. “She came forward, all in black, with a pale head, floating towards me in the dusk. She was in mourning. It was more than a year since his death…” (Conrad p. 72-73). The use of color is effective in the story for a variety of reasons. First, it is easy to understand.
It is mainly represented in the forest scenes, where Hester and Arthur meet. After having spent time alone, Arthur is startled and confused by Hester’s voice, not knowing it’s her. “Clad in garments so sombre, and so little relieved from the gray twilight into which the clouded sky and the heavy foliage had darkened the noontide, that he knew not whether it were a woman or a shadow.” (185). The darkness of the forest is used in a way that presents a mysterious and gloomy setting. To connect with the gloomy setting is the next quote: “about the gloomy sky, the threatening storm, and, next, the health of each.” (187). The quote directly speaks about the “gloomy sky”, and uses the weather to foreshadow the problems that will face them in the future with “the threatening storm” (187). Darkness plays a large part in The Scarlet Letter it can mean anything from the black of Hester’s soul, to shadow of the
In the story Sonny's Blues the author, James Baldwin, uses the image of darkness quite frequently. He uses it first when the older brother (main character) talks about his younger brother Sonny. He says that when Sonny was younger his face was bright and open. He said that he didn't want to believe that he would ever see his "brother going down, coming to nothing, all that light in his face gone out." Meaning he had gone from good (clean and innocent) to bad ( giving into drugs like so many of the other young people).
Darkness in our society is associated with evil. A black cat, a dark night, and a dark place are all symbolic of debauchery. Authors use these symbols to describe an evil character or setting. William Shakespeare employs the imagery of darkness in Act 4 of his play "Macbeth" to describe the agents of disorder. The witches, Macbeth, and Scotland are all described as dark because they represent the agents of chaos.
As Marlow assists the reader in understanding the story he tells, many inversions and contrasts are utilized in order to increase apperception of the true meaning it holds. One of the most commonly occurring divergences is the un orthodox implications that light and dark embody. Conrad’s Heart of Darkness brims with paradoxes and symbolism throughout its entirety, with the intent of assisting the reader in comprehending the truth of not only human nature, but of the world.
But for darkness its the opposite, all the bad events took place during the night, for example when Macbeth goes to kill king Duncan because of greed, he wasn't happy with the position he received, he wanted to be king so he can have more power. Another example of Darkness is when the witches come to tell him his prophecy (I, iii, 125). This is a type of tragic situation because if the witches hadn't appeared and told Macbeth that he would be king, he wouldn't have so much lust. In this scene, Macbeth describes the witch as an ugly old lady dressed in black. The color black represents the witch’s evil nature.
This story has a very dark mood and atmosphere in which it takes place. Hence, the title Heart of Darkness. This is shown in relation to how the story takes place during a dark time, when England was taking over places by force. In addition to this, the story mainly takes place in the dark jungle. It is said in the beginning of the book that many people’s adventures into the jungle don’t always work out for the better. The setting of this story in relation to where and when it takes place helps enhance the overall mood of being a dark story.
Webster’s dictionary defines darkness as a space “devoid or partially devoid of light.” Throughout Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad uses darkness in many ways, as this book truly defines its title. This also develops Conrad’s theme, which is the presence of darkness in both ourselves, and in the world we live. Darkness symbolizes the unknown, the concealed, and the feared. Darkness can hide many hurtful, fearful, and savage things.
... Darkness is that he meant the darkness and wickedness that he saw and associated with European colonialism and imperialistic rule of Africa. Some slight undertones and actions of some of the characters in the novel can show this. The meaning of Heart of Darkness is open to many different interpretations as to what the author means by using the phrase heart of darkness that can easily be linked to different themes. The meaning of the title will more than likely be forever shrouded in ambiguity.
Darkness is invariably associated with evil and to a certain extent deception. In our society, darkness tends to be the primary characteristic of evil. A black cat, a dark and stormy night, and a dark alley, for instance, are all modern day symbols of wickedness and evil. Authors many times will use these and other symbols to describe an evil character or setting. In Elizabethan England night air was said to be impure and rheumy and it was the air in which evils were most free since it was not purged by the sunshine. Darkness is also associated with the supernatural. William Shakespeare employs the imagery of darkness throughout his play of Macbeth. He uses dark images often to describe instruments of disorder and the evils which characters act upon. In Macbeth Shakespeare uses a lot of images of darkness and night and all the dastardly, underhand and sinister deeds will be performed either at night or in times where there is no light; Act 1 of the play is full of images of darkness and night.
Darkness. It pervades every nook and cranny of our human minds and souls, held back by the fragile light of our beliefs, yet encroaching entirely in the eyes of another. The darkness is ignorance and fear. It is the quintessence of imperfection, the corruption of the pure, and tragic irony that stems from incomprehension. It explains and confuses, persuades and dissuades. It is the unknown and the unknowable. Darkness.
In one context, Marlow the protagonist of Heart of Darkness uses the word "darkness" when reminiscing about his boyhood dreams of exploring undiscovered places on the map. Marlow referred to the places on the map that were uncharted and unexplored as dark. Darkness represents a mystery or an adventure yet to happen.
"Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness' of other people. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely. Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes”- Carl Jung. Stephen King, author of IT, depicts this principle by exploring embodiments of fear and corruption, that feed on the minds of the innocent. Using aspects from Sigmund Freud’s theory of the unconscious mind, several characters and themes in the book are analyzed as physical embodiments of traits of the psyche. These traits can fully identify and support the