1、symbolismThe introductionSymbolism is the use of symbols to represent things such as ideas and emotions. Symbolism is sometimes used to refer specifically to totemic symbols that stand on their own, as opposed to linguistic symbols.In psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung envisioned symbols as

2、 being not of the mind, but rather the minds capacity to hold information.The mind uses symbols to form free association, organization, and connections between symbols. Jung and Freud diverged on the issue of common cognitive symbol systems and whether they exist within the individual mind or among

3、other minds, whether cognitive symbolism was innate or defined by the environment.Symbolism is important to religion. Some religious oracles divine by interpreting symbols. Max Weber described religion as a system of sacred religious symbolism.The historical meaningThis history of a symbol is one of

4、 many factors in determining a particular symbols apparent meaning. Old symbols become reinterpreted, due perhaps to environmental changes. Consequently, symbols with emotive power carry problems analogous to false etymologies.For example, the Irish and Scottish American elements of design in the Re

5、bel Flag of the American South predate the American Civil War. An early variant of the crossed bars can be seen on the Scottish Flag. Following the American Civil War, the KKK, founded in part by Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest, became notorious in the American South for conducting racial

6、ly-motivated attacks. Its members, themselves Confederate veterans, associated themselves with the Confederate flag. This led to a subsequent dispute over whether or not the flag has racist connotations. Another example is the superficial resemblance between the Christian cross, an execution device,

7、 and the Ancient Egyptian Ankh, signifying life. The cross derives from the Roman Empires use of large wooden crosses to crucify alleged criminals.symbolism in literatureJust as characterization and dialogue and plot work on the surface to move the story along, symbolism works under the surface to t

8、ie the storys external action to the theme. Early in the development of the fictional narrative, symbolism was often produced through allegory, giving the literal event and its allegorical counterpart a one-to-one correspondence.In John Bunyans Pilgrims Progress, for example, everything and everyone

9、 stands for something else. The protagonist Christian, to no ones surprise, stands for every Christian reader; his goal, the Celestial City, stands for Heaven; the places through which he passes on his way - Lucre Hill, Vanity Fair, and the like - stand for the temptations Bunyan felt that Christian

10、 readers were likely to encounter on their journey to salvation. Even the names of Christians fellow travelers - Mr. Feeble-mind, Great-heart, and the like - represent not individual characters but states of being.Allegory is undoubtedly the simplest way of fleshing out a theme, but it is also the l

11、east emotionally satisfying because it makes things a little too easy on the reader. We feel that we are being lectured to; its almost as if the author is stopping every sentence or two to say, Now pay special attention to this, because if you dont remember it, you wont get the point. Essentially, a

12、llegory insults our intelligence.Allegory also, however, limits our perceptions. The best works of literature are those in which an element of mystery remains - those which lend themselves to a variety of interpretations. Strict allegory seldom does this, which is why religious allegory is generally

13、 less satisfying than the scriptural story on which it was based.To take allegory to the next higher level, we arrive at something that for want of a better term can be called symbolism. At this level, there is still a form of correspondence, and yet it is not so one-to-one, and certainly not so bla

14、tant. Whereas allegory operates very consciously, symbolism operates on the level of the unconscious. This does not mean that the author himself is unconscious of the process of creating symbolism - merely that we, as readers, accept its input without really understanding how it works.In Shakespeare

15、s Hamlet, for example, we discover that Hamlet is fascinated with actors and acting. Upon reflection, an astute reader realizes that this is because Hamlets whole life has become unreal; he is being haunted by the ghost of his father, his father turns out to have been murdered by his uncle, his moth

16、er has married his fathers murderer. The motif of the actors is a symbol for the unreality of Hamlets life.Similarly, near the beginning of F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel The Great Gatsby, there is the famous scene of the Valley of Ashes where Tom Buchanans mistress Myrtle lives. Although Fitzgerald nev

17、er says so, it is clear that the Valley of Ashes represents the real state of Toms soul; although to the outside world his residence is in a mansion on the beautiful bay at East Egg, where everything is opulent and expensive and tasteful, the inwardly rotten, spiritually desiccated Tom really lives

18、where his heart does, in a grim ashen valley presided over by a billboard decorated with a huge pair of bespectacled eyes. The eyes represent God, who sees Toms actions and knows the interior of his heart, but ominously seems powerless to intervene.Other famous symbols are Melvilles great white whal

19、e in Moby Dick; Dantes journey into the underworld in The Inferno; and Coleridges albatross in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. All these concrete objects or places carry within them a wide range of associations that stand for something so ineffable it would spoil the magic to explain it. Symbolism,

20、 therefore, is an integral component of fiction, because it enriches the narrative by pulling its message down to the level of our unconscious and anchoring it there.Symbolism in literature was appeared in mid 19th century in France. Symbols are things that have a much deeper meaning than what it ap

21、pears to be. Symbolism is the use of an item that causes the reader to think about what it stands for. The meaning it holds depends on the individual, it could mean different things to different people. The purpose of symbolists is to express the highly complex feelings that grew out during the cont

22、act with the world.There are two types of symbols. A general symbol is universal in its meaning. For instance, a rose often is not only a flower, but also a general symbol for love. A specific symbol acquires a specific meaning on how it relates to the content. Some titles of novels are always speci

23、fic symbols. Symbolism has two characteristics. One is suggestion, it means the word has a deep meaning and it stands for something or a kind of people .The other is ambiguity. Ambiguity means that the meaning of the word is uncertain and it has different meaning if you look them in different level.

24、 We all know that “The tell-tale heart” has a deep meaning instead of only a horror story. The writer Allan Poe is a precursor of symbolists. Symbolism is an important aspect of the story. The major symbol is the heartbeat. The narrator believed that the sound was the beating of the old mans heart,

25、but it was actually his own heartbeat. It shows his fear of being caught, and his guilty conscience afflicts him for killing the old man. The eye clearly represents evil and the evil is the narrator himself.Karen Bernardo said early in the development of the fictional narrative, symbolism was often

26、produced through allegory. However, we might get bored if we read too many allegories. Whats more, allegory also limits our perceptions. Therefore, to take allegory to the next higher level, it arrived the level of symbolism. Whereas allegory operates very consciously, symbolism operates unconscious

27、ly. This does not mean that the writer is unconscious of creating symbolism. It means that we, as readers, accept it without really understanding how it works.In conclusion, symbolism is a major part in literature. It still useful today and it shaped the contemporary consciousness.The scarlet letter

28、Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter is considered the first symbolic novel in American Literature. His use of symbolism in the novel presents a complex view of sin and its effects. Utilizing characters, colors, settings, and objects Hawthornes extended metaphors shape and develop throughout the plot. Thre

29、e main symbols used in expressing Hawthornes message are the forest, the use of sunlight and shadows, and the use of colors. The use of colors in The Scarlet Letter is one of the more obvious symbols in the plot. Hawthorne openly states the meanings in some instances. The color black is the color of

30、 sin and the devil. Black is the color cast in shadows, the color that Chillingworth, a man of pure evil, is referred to by, and the color worn by Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale wears black because he is a greater sinner for not openly accepting his original sin. Chillingworth is known as the black man, as

31、stated by Pearl, because he possesses the greatest sin possible. The title of the black man is also refers to the devil himself. Hester states this to Pearl in regard to her sin. Darkness is commonly known as a negative connotation and Hawthorne uses it extensively. The color red is the symbol of ho

32、nesty and truth. Pearl i Hawthorne symbolizes sunshine best in the chapter appropriately titled, A Flood of Sunshine. Pearl knows that there is a cause for this contrast in light but she does not know the meaning of it. In this symbolism he conveys his message to be truthful in all circumstances. Sh

33、e is constantly honest and truthful. The ugly sinner will be broadcasted with his surrounding darkness. Hawthorne uses color to express that hiding truth makes one uglier and will cause more pain with time. In doing so he presents a complex few of sin and its effects on his characters in a piece of

34、work called The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is constantly in the sunlight. These scenes are also described as dark ones. The act of Hester speaking to Dimmesdale openly in their society is unheard of. With the release of sin the whole forest is washed in the suns rays. An example is when Hester and Pearl

35、are walking through the forest when a dark cloud came over the sky and Pearl said, Mother. Dimmesdale is shocked and tries to hush Hester but realizes that he is in the safety of the forest and no one else may hear them. The forest is a symbol of freedom from society and Puritan beliefs. This scene

36、is a very dark one because Chillingworth is in the act of revenge. SinThe experience of Hester and Dimmesdale recalls the story of Adam and Eve because, in both cases, sin results in expulsion and suffering. But it also results in knowledgespecifically, in knowledge of what it means to be human. For

37、 Hester, the scarlet letter functions as her passport into regions where other women dared not tread, leading her to speculate about her society and herself more boldly than anyone else in New England.As for Dimmesdale, the cheating minister of his sin gives him sympathies so intimate with the sinfu

38、l brotherhood of mankind, so that his chest vibrates in unison with theirs. His eloquent and powerful sermons derive from this sense of empathy.The narrative of the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is quite in keeping with the oldest and most fully authorized principles in Christian thought. His Fall is a

39、 descent from apparent grace to his own damnation; he appears to begin in purity. He ends in corruption. The subtlety is that the minister is his own deceiver, convincing himself at every stage of his spiritual pilgrimage that he is saved.The rosebush, its beauty a striking contrast to all that surr

40、ounds itas later the beautifully embroidered scarlet A will beis held out in part as an invitation to find some sweet moral blossom in the ensuing, tragic tale and in part as an image that the deep heart of nature (perhaps God) may look more kindly on the errant Hester and her child (the roses among

41、 the weeds) than her Puritan neighbors do. Throughout the work, the nature images contrast with the stark darkness of the Puritans and their systems. Chillingworths misshapen body reflects (or symbolizes) the evil in his soul, which builds as the novel progresses, similar to the way Dimmesdales illn

42、ess reveals his inner turmoil. The outward man reflects the condition of the heart. Although Pearl is a complex character, her primary function within the novel is as a symbol. Pearl herself is the embodiment of the scarlet letter, and Hester rightly clothes her in a beautiful dress of scarlet, embr

43、oidered with gold thread, just like the scarlet letter upon Hesters bosom. Parallels can be drawn between Pearl and the character Beatrice in Rappaccinis Daughter. Both are studies in the same direction, though from different standpoints. Beatrice is nourished upon poisonous plants, until she hersel

44、f becomes poisonous. Pearl, in the mysterious prenatal world, imbibes the poison of her parents guilt.Past and presentThe clashing of past and present is explored in various ways. For example, the character of the old General, whose heroic qualities include a distinguished name, perseverance, integr

45、ity, compassion, and moral inner strength, is said to be the soul and spirit of New England hardihood. Now put out to pasture, he sometimes presides over the Custom House run by corrupt public servants, who skip work to sleep, allow or overlook smuggling, and are supervised by an inspector with no p

46、ower of thought, nor depth of feeling, no troublesome sensibilities, who is honest enough but without a spiritual compass.Hawthorne himself had ambivalent feelings about the role of his ancestors in his life. In his autobiographical sketch, Hawthorne described his ancestors as dim and dusky, grave,

47、bearded, sable-cloaked, and steel crowned, bitter persecutors whose better deeds would be diminished by their bad ones. There can be little doubt of Hawthornes disdain for the stern morality and rigidity of the Puritans, and he imagined his predecessors disdainful view of him: unsuccessful in their

48、eyes, worthless and disgraceful. A writer of story books! But even as he disagrees with his ancestors viewpoint, he also feels an instinctual connection to them and, more importantly, a sense of place in Salem. Their blood remains in his veins, but their intolerance and lack of humanity becomes the

49、subject of his novel.Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter Symbolism in literature is the deepness and hidden meaning in a piece of work. It is often used to represent a moral or religious belief or value. Without symbolism literature is just a bunch of meaningless words on paper. The most symbolic piece

50、of work in American Literature is Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter. Hawthornes use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter is one of the most significant contributions to the rise of American Literature. Much of Hawthornes symbolism is very hard to find but several symbols are also obvious. In the

51、 first chapter Hawthorne describes the prison as the black flower of civilized society. The prison represents the crime and punishment that was incorporated in the early Puritan life. He also contrasts the prison with the tombstone at the end of the novel by suggesting that crime and punishment bring about the end of civilized life. In the same chapter he describes the overgrown vegetation of weeds around the prison. The weeds symbolize how corrupt civilization really is. He also points out a positive