... big role in the novel. He was the narrator of this novel. Nick was a struggling bond salesman that just move next to that big place on the island, Gatsby's place. Nick seemed to like his new home. In the novel, Nick often talked about how homesickness that he felt was relating back to his father conduct. According to ... values of life. He thought that money came before wisdom. In other words, Nick believed that money could buy everything. In the novel, Nick used Gatsby as his model. Both of them paid attention about money more than anything. They believed it could buy love. Nick always...

• Word Count: 512
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... with daily. We know his thoughts through the narration of the story, but his actions are rarely reflections of these thoughts. He obviously does not respect the criminal activity of Gatsby, as well as his affairs with Meyer Wolfsheim, the man rumored to have fixed the World Series in 1919. When offered a job by ... quickly declines: "I've got my hands full. I"m much obliged but I couldn't take on any more work (Page 88)." However, he remains Gatsby's ally and defends him to the end, just because he admires Gatsby's "extraordinary gift for hope (Page 6)" and "romantic readiness (Page 6)....

• Word Count: 1167
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... and died in prison, been starved of love. The goldfinch's was quite literal, while Henchard's was the inescapable prison of his own personality and his past. Moreover, the use of symbols explains many other seeming coincidences and unbelievable occurrences (Ken, Sobol, 106). They are often meant to reveal something to the reader, rather than the pure fact. The arriving of the ... he finds in the river, is symbolic of his state of mind. He wants to kill himself, therefore he see the portrait of him in the river . In this novel, symbols are used to describe other people as well. For Lucet...

• Word Count: 1393
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... a clock, to symbolize the passing of time for a character or use the sun to symbolize life. In the short story, "Barn Burning", William Faulkner uses several different tangible objects as symbols to contribute to the story's meaning. The first symbol to be discussed from "Barn Burning", are the fires that the father, Abner Snopes, makes. He uses an extremely small fire ... the story, when he strikes Sarty in the head, it is described, that it was exactly as he had struck the mules, without heat or anger. By his use of symbols, such as the four described above, Faulkner is able to use se...

• Word Count: 536
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... managed this problem by influencing the composer's judgements from the very beginning of the plot using the convention of structure. Responders sympathise with Gatsby because they have been told he "turns out to be alright in the end", feel contempt for the Buchanans (even before it is ... . Additionally, being selective with what was included in the plot by using the technique of delayed character revelation emphasises the theatrical quality of Gatsby's life and heightens his shroud of mystery. It is not until the story moves towards its climax that responders find out about his backgro...

• Word Count: 756
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Rose for Emily », compendium. Sources: M. Thomas Inge (ed). William Faulkner: A Rose for Emily. Merill Literary Casebook Ser. 1970. The seminar started with two good presentations, one on The Great Gatsby, which we would return to the next day, and one on "A Rose for Emily". The student cleverly identified time and perspective as central issues in the short story. Setting: It ... motive. Fragmented plot structure; impossibility of complete knowledge. Subjective focalization and narration. Emphasis on psychology (although unexplained, or precisely because it is unexplained). Emily is on...

• Word Count: 862
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... desires that society places on an individual as a whole. The use of symbolism throughout these two novels are very similar with a few particular symbols, as well as exceedingly contrasting within the others. Both novels use a symbol to describe the aberration of human nature and the effect it ... Son, the belief of aberration and its effect on human nature and society plays a major role throughout the entire novel. There are a few symbols that associate themselves with this belief, however the most crucial and influential symbol is Mrs. Dalton's blindness. Bigger would never have killed...

• Word Count: 1398
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... was determined to do what she had to do. Which was to get the medicine for her grandson to keep him alive. There are a few symbols that Phoenix does to show death. One of those symbols is that Phoenix always wears a red bandana wherever she goes, which symbolizes blood. There were many quotes that revealed the dreary ... to die eventually but is trying to make the best of it by helping out her grandson and she refers to her struggle by showing some of the symbols that make us think of life and death and age are: "Seem like there is chains about my feet" make it clear that Phoenix is thin...

• Word Count: 637
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... by Shirley Jackson; therefore, symbolism has a tendency to influence the plot in both short stories. The short stories both share the use of symbols, but the symbols are used to express different thoughts in ones mind while reading them. Many examples of symbolism are given to influence the plot in John Steinbeck's ... how little interest he has for her chrysanthemums. Elisa does not feel appreciated by her husband and so she takes care of her chrysanthemums, which symbols how beautiful she really is. Her gardening could be described as a cage to protect herself from anything harmful. Kno...

• Word Count: 1318
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... centuries. The nineteenth century had authorial intervention and authors wrote about things they had never experienced, where as the twentieth century had a lot of hidden symbols and images and writings were more generally based on events in which the authors had been a part of. Many people thought these "hard to understand ... this writing style has been a constant example of a powerful literary expression. Hemingway was one of the best users of symbols and images. In the story Hills Like White Elephants, he has hidden symbols behind almost everything in the story. The main symbol in t...

• Word Count: 710
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... towards Tobe, further concludes their prejudice. They acknowledge him only to extract information "we had long since given up trying to get information from the Negro" (80). Faulkner uses contrasting symbols of the past and present to suggest the eventual demise of the South, much like the deterioration of Miss Emily. The symbolic images of racism perhaps mean the south will ... not thrive, unless they eradicate racism and accept the African American as a vital part of society. Another piece of fiction that applies symbols to interconnect ideas is Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"...

• Word Count: 721
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... allusion is a referece to the Bible. The theme is a normal point that the writer is trying to get across to the reader by using symbols and allusions. In this short story "A Worn Path." there were lost of symbols and allusions that gave this story its meaning. The dove in this story is a symbol of God according to the Bible. A sparrow was in ... Bible means mercy. The tying of the shoen in the short story is an allusion of Chirst washing feet in the Bible. The scarecrow is another symbo of death. These symbols and allusions are a singificant part of the theme in "A Worn Path." The theme...

• Word Count: 314
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... is a classic in American literature and has been labeled that way because of its depiction of life through a boy's life and the symbols within. The link between the main character and the things around him is what makes this book so profound and is probably one of ... just as Holden is in a transition between childhood and adulthood. Holden purchases a red hunting hat, which is what comes to be one of the most identifiable symbols from this novel. It further enhances the reader's image of Holden, since it is a symbol of his uniqueness and individuality. The hat is peculiar, and it ... to...

• Word Count: 944
• Approx Pages: 4

... in this book. Foreshadowing in this book teaches the children many lessons and experiences. The author uses irony to insert humor in her book. Through symbols, this book relates many people and events. There are many symbols in To Kill a Mockingbird. In this story the mockingbird symbolizes Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. A mockingbird does nothing but sing beautiful music. Tom and Boo ... . (201) Throughout this book many literary elements connect people and events. Many literary elements are used in To Kill a Mockingbird to tie the whole story together. There are many major symbols throug...

• Word Count: 314
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... so much that she now even appears to be a different person to her husband henry. Throughout the story Steinback drops many symbols that pertain to Elisa's character. It is not until the end of the story that all of these symbols take on full meaning. A person who read this story only once may not pick up on the symbol of the valley ... way that things are. Then the bath where Elisa cleanses herself from the confining restrictive role symbolizes the moment in time where Elisa grows up to be a woman. All these symbols work together to show Elisa Allen's character. Without them this story ...

• Word Count: 841
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

In the short story The Necklace, Guy de Maupassant, the author and is generally considered the greatest French short story writer, uses several symbols and themes throughout the story to help give his readers their own analysis. The symbols and themes are also universal because they keep reoccurring throughout the story. Maupassant also used the archetype of a hero and the changes a person goes ... , she took responsibility for her own actions and learned the meaning of hard work. In conclusion, Maupassant does use several symbols and themes to help his readers draw their own conclusions abou...

• Word Count: 874
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... and the Sea. Which is the story of the epic struggle between an old exhausted fisherman named Santiago and the greatest catch of his life. In this novel Hemingway uses symbols, metaphors and imagery to give emphasis to detail and the main points in the story. Ernest Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea uses literary devices to make it ... a marvelous read and an outstanding piece of literature. Symbols are an extremely significant literary device used through out this novel. Symbols are anything that suggests an idea or quality. In The Old Man and the Sea the book itself is a symbo...

• Word Count: 652
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... ", symbolism is used to reveal conflicts between Paul and his mother to the reader. In Katherine Mansfield's "Miss Brill", the use of symbolism underscores Miss Brill's innocence. One of these symbols is the fur collar she wears. The fur represents a pet to her, something cute she can love as other people love their dogs or children. However, she does not know ... shows Paul no love. The use of symbolism in these short stories carries out different functions the author selected prior to writing his/her story. These authors put in these symbols to further explain the nature of their chara...

• Word Count: 855
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... hard for him to find his true self. The main character of this short story is deeply infatuated by his friend, Mangan's, sister. The author uses sexual implications and religious symbols throughout the story, which helps explain the instances the boy has with the girl. From the beginning of the story, especially in paragraph five, Joyce explains how the protagonist's " ... ;boy was like a harp" and explains how "her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires." (pg. 87) This is where Joyce uses the religious symbols and connects it with sexual implications. A harp is ...

• Word Count: 701
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... that are carefully woven together; Margret Atwood exposes readers to the reality of appearances, degradation of women and the journey of finding ones self. She also leaves deep and meaningful symbols such as a dead heron, the Americans and an engagement ring, for readers to interpret.   Throughout the novel there has been a sense that things are not always what they seem. In ... who she is. In the beginning of Surfacing she describes her self as "missing" and incomplete but after her visit back home she finds her purpose in life. Symbols are representations of a concept in the the form...

• Word Count: 762
• Approx Pages: 3

... 's mother, and mother land which is Irland. The figures are juxtapositions and indications to the theme of repressing authority that is symbolized by the figure of mother, father, and priest symbols. The theme introduced by this motif is the repressive nature of his country. The main character of James Joyce novel called Stephen. In order to show the main theme, which ... is Stephen finding his artistic talent and knowing his path in life, Joyce used many symbols that appear to be with no relation to each other but by associating the meaning of each symbol, the whole theme could be seen....

• Word Count: 515
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... , named Paul, growing up and taking on the responsibility of finding out who he is, and what he wants from life. The story contains many symbols, which add meaning to the story. Some of the major symbols present in "Paul's Case" are: the flowers, Cordelia street, the Carnegie Hall, and Paul's house. The flowers play an integral role in the story. They ... he wants. He constantly dreams about "movin" on up" and living life in a high society. The Carnegie Hall, which was the place Paul worked, is another one of the major symbols in the story. It symbolizes the life that Paul dreams of havi...

• Word Count: 457
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... metaphorical device of being big and small. This is seen simply by Big Nurse being called Nurse Ratched . One of the most effective techniques Kesey employs is the use of symbols. One such symbol is the Christianity Symbol that is the comparisons of McMurphy and Christ. McMurphy with his twelve followers engage on a fishing trip, deep-sea fishing was an important ... McMurphy's self-sacrifice. In the end of the novel the mechanical Nurse Ratched symbolic loses her only sign of humanity, her voice. The movie also employs the same use of symbols although McMurphy's self-sacrifice isn't qu...

• Word Count: 1273
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Rip hallucinating all of this due to the enchantment of the mountains? Washington employs mysticism to further capture the reader's attention. Finally, the employment of symbols helps make "Rip Van Winkle- a masterpiece. Although there are several minor symbols hidden throughout the tale -- the henpecked wife, the Kaatskill Mountains, and Wolf the dog -- one major symbolic reference can be found in "Rip Van ... , and I'm changed, and I can't tell what's my name, or who I am!'- (46). As Rip has changed during his slumber, so has America. In "Rip Van Winkle,"œ Irving skillfully creates sy...

• Word Count: 1583
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... been married to her husband. While in her room, she is not becoming sick as her sister believes, but is in fact "drinking in a very elixir of life" from the symbols of the new life she is beginning that she sees from outside of her window. Her imagination is running wild with thoughts of the long life she has to live ... by herself in her own way. She thinks of spring and summer days. These two seasons are symbols themselves for they connote the sense of greenness and life. With these new possibilities and opportunities in front of her, she says a prayer that she will live a long life, ...

• Word Count: 1009
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School