By: Mikayla Kelly
A literary device known as symbolism uses something to stand in for a larger concept. It helps writers give their stories more nuance. For instance, a storm could stand for war, or a dove for peace. A story can become more interesting and thought-provoking by using symbolism. Additionally, it can facilitate a higher level of connection between readers and the story. One of my favorite stores as a child was “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. At the end of chapter one we see the female main character get swallowed by a green light. To me, this green light was such an important symbol that elevated the story. I still think about the green light in the story and what it could mean. Some say it means Gatsby`s ill attempts to reach Daisy with his love while other believe that it represents Gatsby`s unlucky attempt at reaching the American Dream. But just this one form of symbolism has stuck with me for years and made me relook at the entire storyline.
When writing a piece of literature sometimes you want to add depth to your words and make the reader ponder over your story. Symbolism can really help people rethink about the meaning behind your story while also giving you the edge to portray one theme with your words and another while the reader reads between the lines with your symbols. A painter often uses symbols to portray the meaning of their artwork. While an artist might use colors to bring across a different form of emotions, authors must bring everyday mundane things that everyone might have their house a new meaning through their choice of words. By representing deeper meanings or abstract concepts with things, characters, or events, authors can use symbolism in their writing. For example, a storm could stand for internal turmoil, whereas a bird could be a recurrent picture that represents freedom. Authors can give their stories multiple levels of significance by using symbolism, which enables readers to decipher the narrative beyond its obvious meaning. To increase the emotional effect and give the story depth without overpowering the reader, authors must make sure that their symbols complement their themes and character development. The secret to successful symbolic writing is subtlety.