WHY USE SYMBOLS?

By Sharon May

According to LiteraryTerms.com, “a symbol is literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects, concepts or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone.” Fancy words for something that means something else. Symbols show instead of tell, which is why we want symbols in our stories.

Sometimes symbols are subtle and only come to light during a close reading. I am reminded of William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, in which the sister’s stained underwear on display when she climbs a tree symbolizes her loss of innocence and growing sexuality that disgust her narrator brother. Obviously, a Freudian thing. Many readers may not think twice about her underwear unless they are thinking critically about symbolism.

Other symbols are obvious though the reader must still coax meaning out of them. In “Chrysanthemums,” John Steinbeck clearly intends the flowers to be a symbol for Elisa. When she discusses her prowess as a gardener with the traveling salesman, we see her blossom and grow strong. When she discovers the flowers lying discarded along the road, she then reflects their demise as she is described as “…crying – like an old woman.”

That’s how symbols work, but how do they get in the story? Constructing symbolism effectively is not as easy as plopping one into the text. Universal symbols, i.e. wedding rings and crosses, add meaning but their use may seem cliché. The best and most unique symbols grow organically, and sometimes the writer has no clue a symbol will appear until the story is written.

Consciously constructing symbols is partly paying attention to details. What colors and names do you use? What items or settings are associated with a character? Repetition is needed to establish these details as symbols.

You can also design motifs throughout the story. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses the motif of incest along with Hamlet’s distrust of women to reveal both character and theme.

When to use symbols takes planning as they should appear in key moments in the story. In “A New England Nun,” Mary E. Wilkins Freeman uses the dog Caesar as symbolic of Laura’s life, known for her biting attitude, shut away from the world, and chained by her daily habits. Freeman introduces Caesar immediately after introducing Laura, and again devotes a paragraph to Caesar in the middle of the story when he is promised freedom if Laura marries her fiancé Joe Dagget. The concluding paragraph begins with Caesar forever chained to his dog house, reflective of Laura’s being “like an uncloistered nun” upon her decision not to marry Dagget.

Symbols are not necessary but they do add multiple levels of meaning and thus enrich a story. They serve as touchstones for the reader to remember long after the experience of reading the plot and getting to know the characters. Try using symbols if you don’t already. They can make your story more memorable.