Drama: Joe Turner's Come and Gone In the play Joe Turner's Come and Gone, by August Wilson, symbolism plays a very important part in conveying the true meaning of the story to the reader. August Wilson uses symbolism to suggest an intangible condition or truth about the characters in Joe Turner's Come and Gone, and as the story progresses each symbol accrues complexity beyond the original meaning. August Wilson's complex use of symbolism is grossly demonstrated through Mr. Wilson's use of the road, Martha Pentecost, and Herald Loomis. Some of the first and most significant references to the road are discussed very early in the play. The character Bynum Walker is telling the story of the shiny man, and the secret of life to Rutherford Selig when Bynum makes several significant references to the road. Bynum says, "I wandered around there looking for that road, trying to find my way back from this big place...and I looked over and seen my daddy standing there", and it is at this point that the reader has a significant sense that the road is much more than just a road. As the story progresses Bynum Walker is asking Herald Loomis where he comes from, and Herald says, "Come from all over. Whicheverway the road take us that's the way we go." It is at this point that August Wilson's road becomes much more than just a literal road, and with this in mind the reader begins to see the road as the path that ones life takes. There are other references to the road throughout the play that help develop the fact that the road is the path that all people must take in life to self-discovery. August Wilson continues the play with strong symbolism use in his characters names. For example, Martha Pentecost is the wife of Herald Loo... ... middle of paper ... ...Herald goes on to say, "Goodbye Martha." The character of Herald Loomis then turns to exit, and is followed by Mattie Campbell. August Wilson has used symbolism throughout Joe Turner's Come and Gone to help the reader fully experience the complexities of the human spirit in times of trial and tribulation. Wilson uses the road to help us understand how man's path through life is not always clearly defined, and that each individual must struggle with the path that lay ahead. Wilson also demonstrates that not all individuals follow one path in life. That when one comes to the end of one road a rebirth may be necessary to continue down another road, such as Martha Pentecost and Herald Loomis had to discover. Wilson also shows the reader that acceptance of the death of an old life can lead to illumination, rebirth, and the possibility of love in ones new life.
Andre Dubus uses symbolism to describe the person’s confrontation with morality that he has to deal with. These men are simply hoping to end their family’s pain, suffering, and internal struggles. Moreover, Dubus uses symbolism in his story as a way of showing love, sympathy, anger and pain (Ruth 1-2).
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 have a deeper meaning in the context of the whole story. The reader needs to see the little things like a dove symbolizes peace, or like the red rose stands for romance. Mostly everything can have a symbolic meaning to it.
The symbolism used in “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst impacts the story by indirectly giving the reader relationships between two objects or ideas. The three main symbols are the seasons, the go cart, and the tombstone. These are proven by Doodle’s progress throughout the year, the hardship that Brother faces handling Doodle, and the imminent death of the baby. Again, Hurst uses symbolism to describe Doodle’s family and all the emotions surrounding them.
Symbolism can be defined as a figure, character, or object that is used to represent complex or abstract ideas. By expressing an idea in the form of an image, the reader can visualize the concept more concretely. The old expression, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” applies to symbolism as the author creates a visual representation of ideas. The use of symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter helps to illuminate the overall meaning of the work.
Symbolism is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as a representation of a concept through symbols or underlying meanings of objects or qualities, sometimes abstract, other times more literal. Often times in literature an author or poet employs the concept and use of symbolism where one object is used to refer to something else in order to create an emphasis or convey a point without slamming it in the face of the reader. It’s a person’s individual perception or system of belief that brings them to the true meaning of a specific symbol as it applies to their lives. Sometimes an entire piece of work is an extended metaphor for an idea the author is trying to convey such as in Animal Farm. However, the importance of this literary device is undisputed, in any work. Writers insert symbols into their writing to allude to a feeling, mood, attitude or ideology, without directly stating the perspective or mood intended. The authors of Ethan Frome and The House of Spirits use symbolism to convey both emotions such as anxiety and foreboding, and other things such as the ideas of what a woman should be, morality, and representations of revolutionary ideology.
The use of symbolism is often a common practice within literature. Symbolism is used in the instance of an object or action being presented through a text with the purpose to reveal a deeper meaning behind that which is displayed. Symbols may represent ideas, objects, beliefs, and so on. Shirley Jackson is one such author who has used symbolism within her literature with one case being her short story, “The Lottery.” In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” symbolism can be seen in many instances in which Jackson is able to address the ways of which society behaves when placed under a common belief and tradition. She accomplishes this by focussing her symbolism towards seemingly commonplace aspects within the story.
Symbolism is one of the main categories in the figurative language utilized by the author that made strong impacts on reader by forcing them to contemplate
Authors Kate Chopin and Tennessee Williams were both writers who both relied on symbolism within their novels. The purpose of symbolism within the literary world is to represent or depict something by using analogies, objects, or even animals in order to give a deeper or different meaning of what is trying to be described. As described in Literary Devices, symbolism gives writers the opportunity to evoke interests in their readers in order to ‘draw’ them into the story.
In the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are many examples of symbolism. Symbolism is the idea of how the author connects one abstract idea to an object. Some examples of symbolism in the book are the little brook that runs through the forest, the scarlet letter that Hester wears, the forest, Pearl, the rosebush outside the prison door, and the meteor in the sky. This paper will only be talking about four of the previously mentioned examples: Pearl, the letter that Hester wears, the meteor and the rosebush.
Symbolism is one of the most effective and powerful elements in writing. We see various examples of this all throughout "The Things They Carried." Symbolism enables us to tell a story one way, while all along trying to say another. I believe Tim O'Brien has achieved success in doing so in "The Things They Carried."
The analysis argues the use of symbolism as it applies to the aspects of the characters and their relationships. Henrik Ibsen’s extensive use of symbols is applied to capture the reader’s attention. Symbols like the Christmas tree, the locked mailbox, the Tarantella, Dr. Rank’s calling cards, and the letters add a delicate meaning to the characters and help convey ideas and themes throughout the play.
Symbols surround people daily in society. Symbolism take various forms; a distinctive meaning of deepness and more significant than what it appears in the surface. Furthermore, symbols covey society deep hidden true feelings into an object. Symbolism impacts individuals in multiple ways. In “Invisible Man” Ralph Ellison uses symbols to argue the philosophy is correct and white supremacy over the mind, body and future.
Symbolism is significant because it can turn a boring novel into a world’s best seller. Symbolism establishes meaning in a piece of writing. William Golding, the author of The Lord of The Flies uses symbolism in his writing to create a theme. The novel centers on a group of boys that have crash landed on an island. They must do whatever it takes to survive, so they create a type of civilization. However, this society doesn’t last long, as the boys tend to savagery. Golding incorporates symbolism throughout his text to advance that although it may be unclear to the surface, savagery is within mankind.
Symbolism is commonly used by authors that make short stories. Guin is a prime example of how much symbolism is used in short stories such as “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” and “Sur.” In both of these stories Guin uses symbolism to show hidden meanings and ideas. In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” there is a perfect Utopian city, yet in this perfect city there is a child locked in a broom closet and it is never let out. A few people leave the city when they find out about the child, but most people stay. Furthermore, in “Sur” there is a group of girls that travel to the South Pole and reach it before anyone else, yet they leave no sign or marker at the South Pole. Guin’s stories are very farfetched and use many symbols. Both “Sur” and “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” have many symbols such as colors, characters, objects, and weather. The four types of symbols that Guin uses help the readers understand the themes in her short stories. Although her stories are farfetched, they need symbolism in them or the reader would not understand the theme; therefore the symbols make Guin’s stories much more enjoyable.
In both J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, symbolism is used through the employment of imagery and metaphors. These are utilized to convey universal themes, such as alienation, pressures of conventional expectations, and sexuality. Symbolism is also utilized to portray significant and meaningful messages to the audience.