Symbolism

The Basics of Symbolism

Symbolism is a
relatively straightforward concept on its surface. An object or objects
represents an Idea or a concept. For example, the United States Flag is
an object (a flag). It is simply fabric with stripes and stars. In
itself, the flag is meaningless. However, the flag represents or stands
for a variety of ideas and concepts. As a symbol, the flag can
represent freedom, unity, justice, or patriotism to certain people. It
can also represent evil, hatred, world domination, and injustice to
certain people. One object, in this case the flag, can represent a
multitude of ideas. It is ultimately up to the audience to decide what
the symbol represents to them. In symbolic representations we often are
given an ordinary object and challenged to attach meaning to the object
beyond its concrete use or intended meaning.

Another concrete example of non-literary symbolism would be cross which
is perhaps the most common of all visual symbols. Like the flag, a
cross can be seen to represent a number of different ideas: redemption,
crucifixion, or sacrifice. Engineering feats can be seen as symbolic as
well. As the great bridges began to connect Manhattan to the rest of
New York, for example, New Yorkers either saw it as a symbol of man’s
great progress or as a symbol of the degeneration of the city center.

Symbolism in Literature

When we read, we may feel that certain characters and certain items in
the story stand for more than themselves, or hint at larger meanings.
It may be clear to us, for example, that the author has mentioned
certain items or ideas in order to get us to think more deeply about
something.

One question students often ask about symbolism in literature is this:
why do authors have to suggest meaning, why can’t they just tell us
about it directly?
The answer may be best arrived at by thinking about the object
mentioned above, the American flag. How many words would it take to
concretely, exactly, and meaningfully communicate the feelings evoked
upon seeing the flag flying at half-mast? It would be a very difficult
thing to do, and in doing so the writer might lose the reader’s
interest or worse, alienate them from the moment because the feeling is
not one they shared., but by allowing the flag to stand as a symbol,
the writer forces the reader to apply his or her own knowledge to the
situation, and the feelings evoked are the sole domain of the reader,
not the author.

Literary symbols are of two broad types: One includes those embodying universal suggestions
of meaning, as flowing water suggests time and eternity, a voyage
suggests life. Such symbols are used widely (and sometimes
unconsciously) in literature. The other type of symbol acquires its
suggestiveness not from qualities inherent in itself but from the way
in which it is used in a given work. An example would be the apple in
the story of Adam and Eve.
There are no concrete right and wrong answers when it comes to symbols,
though some are more evident than others. Because we all have different
levels of understanding of certain subjects, we come to literature with
different abilities to decipher symbols. I urge you to not try to
assign absolute meaning to every symbol you encounter. The multiplicity
of interpretation is what makes literature (especially modern
literature) so rich and interesting to read.

Similarly, not every item or object is meant to be symbol. Sometimes a
picture can just be decoration. Sometimes a character carries a gun
because he carries a gun. So while I encourage you to be critical and
thoughtful, I do not want you to work too hard to assign symbolic
meaning to everything you see in a story or poem. Symbolism is not
mathematics and cannot be explained in simple formulas. There are
seldom concrete answers to questions of symbolic significance, and you
are not supposed to be experts in literary symbolism.

Symbolism Dictionary:
http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/ 

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Hero Journey

The Separation

The Call

The Call
invites the initiate into the adventure, offering an opportunity to
face the unknown and grow physically or spiritually. The initiate may
choose willingly to accept the call or s/he may be thrust into the
adventure.

Often the call comes when the initiate has had something taken from
him, his family or his society. He accepts the quest to reclaim what
was taken. The call may involve a sensation that there is something
lacking in life. Often the call involves a need to save honor.

The Threshold

A hero first must encounter "threshold guardians,"
beings who block the way to the adventure. These guardians may attempt
to destroy the initiate, or to protect her from entering the adventure
before she is ready.

Often the inexperienced hero finds that he cannot proceed without supernatural aid, in the form of a "wise and helpful guide" who provides advice and amulets to further the quest.

The hero must leave his familiar life behind to begin a journey from childhood to adulthood and to a life-transformation. The threshold
of the journey is the point at which the initiate leaves the known
world to enter the unknown. At this point a helper or guide may appear
to provide assistance or direction. Helpers often appear when the
initiate is in the greatest danger.

The Descent — “into the labyrinth”

The descent is a voyage into uncharted territory, either physical or
psychological. The initiate becomes more at risk. A labyrinth has
always symbolized a difficult journey into the unknown, and in one way
or another it is often incorporated into tales of the hero’s journey.

The Initiation

Tests and Ordeals

On his journey the initiate faces a series of tests and ordeals which
challenge him, and force him to grow physically or mentally. The tests
validate the initiate’s right to be hero. The hero faces mortal combat,
but in the end good triumphs over evil and the hero is recognized for
his deeds of valor.

Into the Abyss

The
abyss represents the greatest challenge of the journey. Usually the
initiate must face the abyss alone and overcome her greatest fears.
Here is where the initiate must “slay the dragon.” The dragon is the
thing the hero most dreads and needs to overcome.

Common mythic motifs at this point in the adventure are the “swallowing up of the hero by a large monster” or the “sacred grove—a
magical forest where trees may have creative energy and enchanters
dwell.” Each of these ancient motifs represents enclosures where the
hero is transformed and attains new insight.

The Transformation

The opening of the mind and heart to spiritual knowledge requires a sacrifice
from the hero. At this difficult and dangerous place on the hero path,
the initiate reaffirm the meaning and importance of his life by his
willingness to sacrifice himself. Continued on back. . . . .

As a result of successfully meeting the challenge of the abyss, the
hero is transformed. The transformation is the moment of death and
rebirth. Often the transformation involves a change of consciousness, a
change in the way the hero views life.

The Atonement

The
initiate has become stronger, a better leader, or spiritually
enlightened. The hero accepts his/her new transformed self. He/she is
given a gift bestowed because of a new level of skill and awareness.
The initiate is now a hero. The imbalance which sent the hero on the
quest has now been corrected—until the next call.
“Atonement with the father” is another common motif of the hero
journey. The hero comes to an understanding or a peace with his/her
father.

The Return


The "hero’s return" marks the end of the "trials and ordeals." The hero must return from his adventures with the means to benefit his society.
In some cases, when the hero returns things do not go well. Either the
society rejects the message of the hero or the hero becomes
disillusioned by society and leaves.

Sources for this handout: Jean O’Connor and Colleen Hansen from HHS English Department; Wikipedia; 

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Poetry Discussion Guidelines

Simple stuff. Each day this week, I am going to post a poem for discussion on the web site and a link to discuss it in the forums. You need to an insightful comment or two on two of the poems; either an original observation or a response to someone else.

That’s it. 

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Archetypes

Definition of an Archetype

ARCHETYPE –The model of a person, personality or behavior from which later examples are developed.



What is an archetype? Well, if you looked in A Handbook to Literature,
you would find three paragraphs about archetypes. It begins… “ This
literary term applies to an image, a descriptive detail, a plot
pattern, or a character type that occurs frequently in literature,
myth, religion, or folklore…” and it goes on.

This term, whose earlier meaning, "original model," or "prototype," has
been enlarged by Jung and by several contemporary literary critics. A
Jungian archetype is a thought pattern that finds worldwide parallels,
either in cultures (for example, the similarity of the ritual of Holy
Communion in Europe with the tecqualo in ancient Mexico) or in
individuals (a child’s concept of a parent as both heroic and tyrannic,
superman and ogre). Jung believed that such archetypal images and ideas
reside in the unconscious level of the mind of every human being and
are inherited from the ancestors of the race. They form the substance
of the collective unconscious. Literary critics such as Northrop Frye
and Maud Bodkin use the term archetype interchangeably with the term
motif, emphasizing that the role of these elements in great works of
literature is to unite readers with otherwise dispersed cultures and
eras.


Example of Archetypes Found in Literature

  • The Hero The Hero in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demi-god,
    the offspring of a mortal and a deity. Later, hero and heroine came to
    refer to characters that, in the face of danger and adversity or from a
    position of weakness, display courage and the will for self-sacrifice, that is, heroism, for some greater good.
  • The Great Mother,
    either good or terrible. This archetype represents the life giving or
    nurturing characteristics associated with one’s mother. This archetype
    may represent mother earth, or a more personal mother figure.
  • The Father Figure
    –This is the authority figure archetype. Usually, during the hero’s
    quest, there is some conflict with the father figure and, in the end,
    there is some reconciliation or break from that authority.
  • The God or Goddess:
    This archetype usually represents temptation for the hero figure to
    stray from or abandon his/her hero quest in return from physical
    comfort, wealth, power or romance. This figure tests the hero’s
    commitment to his or her quest.
  • The Spiritual Guide/Magic Helper/Wise Old Man This archetype is typically some sort of mentor or wizard who advises the hero.
  • The Trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal who plays pranks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and norms of behaviour.
  • The Companion (Sidekick):
    The companion of the hero can be present from the outset or join the
    hero part way through the adventure. Often the companion is on a hero
    quest of his own, as well as serving as a friend to the main character.
    The companion may or may not have special powers, but he or she usually
    “saves” the hero or redirects him at least once during the journey.
  • The Dragon—or
    Greatest Fear: This archetypal element is crucial to the journey. It
    is, in fact, the reason for the journey. The dragon is not necessarily
    a “real” dragon, but represents whatever the hero fears most and what
    he/she must confront in order to become a hero.
  • The Ultimate Boon:
    The hero seeks this reward. It may appear at first to be some physical
    reward like money, power, etc. Usually, in the end, it is a change or a
    transformation of the hero’s character, which leads to freedom from
    whatever he/she feared most. The reward may also include wealth, power,
    etc.
  • Dark Lord or Evil Overlord
    – a villain of near-omnipotence in his realm, who seeks to utterly
    dominate that realm with the help of devoted followers and "Legions of
    Doom", and whose very name is usually anathema to the lips of the
    innocent.
  • The Hero-There are two types:
  1. The deliberate hero who is often marked for greatness in some way and
  2. the reluctant hero
    who is thrust into his/her hero quest (i.e. drafted into the army) and
    has some fear or sense of not fitting in the world which pushes him/her
    into a hero quest.

Some Important Archetypes

  • Archetypal women – the Good Mother, the Terrible Mother, and the Soul Mate (such as the Virgin Mary)
  • water – creation, birth-death-resurrection, purification, redemption, fertility, growth
  • garden – paradise (Eden), innocence, fertility
  • desert – spiritual emptiness, death, hopelessness
  • red – blood, sacrifice, passion, disorder
  • green – growth, fertility
  • black – chaos, death, evil
  • serpent – evil, sensuality, mystery, wisdom, destruction
  • seven – perfection
  • shadow, persona, and anima (see **psychological criticism**)
  • hero archetype – The hero is involved in a quest (in which he overcomes obstacles). He experiences initiation (involving a separation, transformation, and return), and finally he serves as a scapegoat, that is, he dies to atone.

Archetypal Approach to Literature

A mythological / archetypal approach to literature assumes that there is a collection of symbols, images, characters, and motifs (i.e. archetypes) that evokes basically the same response in all people. According to the psychologist Carl Jung, mankind possesses a "collective unconscious"
that contains these archetypes and that is common to all of humanity.
Myth critics identify these archetypal patterns and discuss how they
function in the works. They believe that these archetypes are the
source of much of literature’s power.
 

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