Many stories use symbols to help explain the moral of the story using visual stimulation instead of just using words. Authors may often use animals as such symbols. Some common animals that many authors use include snakes, pigs, dogs, horses, and some use sheep as well. It is often difficult to understand what each symbol means in a story, especially an animal's meaning. To understand the meaning better, one must analyze the story as a whole and not just the symbol. Many events that happen in a story may link to the symbol in a deeper way than one may first think. Two short stories that use animals to symbolize a part of the story include "Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurston, and "Revelation" by Flannery O"Connor. .
"Sweat" has many symbols, including the snake in which Sykes torments and attempts to murder his wife Delia. Sykes and the snake are similar in many ways; they both represent evil, control (power), masculinity, and fear. Delia is deathly afraid of snakes, which is apparent when Sykes throws a whip on Delia's back. She responds in a very frightful manner, "Sykes, why you throw dat whip on me like dat? You know it would skeer me - looks just like a snake, an" you knows how skeered ah is of snakes." Both the snake and Sykes torment Delia in evil ways; causing her to practically lose her mind beyond her control. Possibly the only thing protecting Delia from Sykes and the snake could be her Christian beliefs. However, despite being a Christian woman, the snake may also represent Delia's evil thoughts. She is afraid of the snake just as she is afraid of her own thoughts and feelings about her husband, Sykes, being killed by the snake at her fault. Her beliefs as a Christian banish her thoughts of killing Sykes herself; therefore, she does nothing about the snake to move it out of the house. Nevertheless, when Sykes comes home, the snake bites him, and Delia does nothing about it.
In the beginning of "Revelation," Mrs. ... O'Connor's stories also include quite a bit of symbolism. In this story, there are several points of symbolism. ... The book is not the only symbolism in "Revelation." ... Symbolism and foreshadowing are two of the most important literary devices used by O'Connor in "Revelation." ...
"Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurston is filled with symbolism ranging from images that are easily captured to things that require a little bit more insight. ... Symbolism plays a big part of this story and after analyzing these, they give the story a deeper meaning and can enlighten the reader as to the full meaning of "Sweat". ... Sweat, sweat, sweat Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat" (Hurston 679). ... Another reference to religion can be found in "Sweat." ... "Sweat" is filled with symbolism which reiterates and clarifies the authors intention in writing this story. ...
The symbolism of this devouring fire is taken from Jeremiah 5:14.... The symbolism used here is taken from Elijah as he is presented in 1 Kings 17:1.11 In the second part of Revelation 11:6 the prophets "have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague.... "The symbolism is plainly drawn from no less than three great Old Testament prophets: Jeremiah, Elijah, and Moses.... " Here is symbolism that John the Baptist was like Elijah but was not literally Elijah brought back to earth. ... Understanding the Symbolism of the Two Witnesses Under...
The symbolism of this devouring fire is taken from Jeremiah 5:14.... The symbolism used here is taken from Elijah as he is presented in 1 Kings 17:1.11 In the second part of Revelation 11:6 the prophets "have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague.... "The symbolism is plainly drawn from no less than three great Old Testament prophets: Jeremiah, Elijah, and Moses.... " Here is symbolism that John the Baptist was like Elijah but was not literally Elijah brought back to earth. ... Understanding the Symbolism of the Two Witnesses Under...
"Sweat" written by Zora Neale Hurston is filled with symbolism, which give the readers a deeper understanding of "Sweat". ... The most obvious symbol of the story is Delia's sweat. ... Sweat, sweat, sweat! Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat!" (Kennedy, Gioia p.390) The sweat described is the result of Delia's hard work, her sweat. ...
The book of Daniel and the Revelation are counterparts of each other. ... This book is rich in symbolism so there are several interpretative approaches to it in the Christian community. ... Let us compare Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. ... Certain portions of them use similar pattern of symbolic animals to represent world's empires. ... The books of Daniel and Revelation contain dreams and/or visions which are full of symbolisms, figurative, metaphors and imageries. ...
Flannery O"Connor, "Revelation" While reading the story "Revelation", the reader is confronted with a main character, Mrs. ... When confronted by a young college student in the doctor's office, she is blessed by an unwanted image of herself that leads to a self-revelation. ... By the use of symbolism in this story, the writer provides subtle images to the reader about the self-revelation that the character, Mrs. ... Symbolism is use of symbols by a writer to portray multiple meanings with fewer words. ... Turpin rights herself, she asks Mary Grace for what she has to say and waits for...
Death to Humanity, Long live Animal Farm! ... So we see that control is best seized through subtle means of influence a lesson Animal Farm teaches you. ... The third reason why Animal Farm is a good book and should be recommended to others is its use of symbolism. ... The use of symbolism is so that what you read you supposedly have no prior knowledge of. ... Through symbolism, Orwell lets you take an un-biased look at the world, government types, and human nature to evaluate it. ...
