Understanding symbolism

Key learning points

Symbols are all around us in everyday life – from the green person that lights up to tell us it is safe to cross the road, to clicking on the ‘thumbs up’ icon to show that we ‘like’ something on social media.

Writers also use symbols to add deeper meaning to a text. These symbols are not pictures but are made purely from words, creating meanings and associations in our minds as we read.

In literature, a writer uses symbols to suggest deeper ideas to a reader. Symbols stand for something else beyond their literal meaning. This additional meaning adds to the power of the writing.

It could be as simple as a colour being used to represent a particular mood or emotion. For example, the colour red can symbolise anger or ion whereas blue is often seen as a sad colour. In JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the character Holden describes himself as ‘yellow’ when he means that he is cowardly.

A writer might use symbols that we know already – for example, a red rose to symbolise love or a crown to symbolise royalty – or they might create their own.

Symbols can sometimes be obvious (for example, a skull often symbolises death) but sometimes they may take more work to understand.

To unpack the possible connotations of a symbol, a great place to start is to reduce the symbol to its most basic level. For example, the symbol of a fire can be interpreted in various ways: destruction, warmth, hope, civilisation, survival.

On a deeper level, fire was one of the first discoveries which led to the development of civilisation. It has long been used by humans as a source of heat and protection. Humans’ ability to control and harness fire has led to the evolution of the human race and the development of civilisation. However, if we lose control of fire it can cause untold destruction and harm.

Depending on the context in which this symbol is being used by the author fire can represent different ideas, for example:

• Flames on a birthday cake represent the longevity of a person’s life.
• A forest fire represents death and destruction.

Symbolism within metaphors or similes is a very common way for writers to introduce more complex themes. They provide a more creative way of conveying an idea and sometimes add emphasis to the point they are making. They can also help the reader to understand a more abstract or complex idea by linking it to something more relatable:

• ‘Life is a rollercoaster’. This metaphor indicates that as a person journeys through their life, they will face ups and downs. If the symbol of a rollercoaster is used, it can mean that someone is facing a difficult or an exciting time ahead.

• ‘As tough as an old boot’. This simile refers to someone's mental toughness because of the sturdiness of leather, as a symbol, if someone was called an old boot, we would know they were being called tough.

A symbol can have multiple meanings and the reader has to work out what the symbol means in that specific context. In The Signalman by Charles Dickens, the train is literally a train, but it also symbolises the power and deadliness of machines.

In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, symbolism is used to transform items used by the boys into more complex ideas. In the story, a group of school boys are marooned on a desert island after their plane crashes. They soon realise that there are no live adults and that they will have to work out how to survive by themselves. They quickly elect leaders but growing tensions between the boys leads to conflict and a descent into savagery in order to survive.

Understanding the deeper meaning behind symbols helps the reader to better understand the mindset of the boys and how their society is changing on the island.

The motif of Piggy’s glasses is used to symbolise rational thinking. They are an invaluable tool to the boys on the island as they offer their only way to make fire. But when Piggy’s glasses are broken by Jack, this foreshadows the downfall of the group; just like Piggy’s glasses, the boys’ relationships begin to show cracks and their descent into savagery accelerates.

Jack’s mask alludes to his loss of identity. He first puts on the mask when he goes hunting so that he can camouflage into the jungle. Once he has the mask on, we notice a change in his behaviour and he gradually becomes more savage.