This document discusses symbolism in literature and provides examples from short stories. Symbolism uses objects or words to represent abstract ideas and helps convey meaning. In "Young Goodman Brown", Faith represents purity and innocence, while the devil's staff symbolizes Goodman losing his faith. In "The Fire Next Time", the fire symbolizes Guy's desire to change his son's destiny, while the hot air balloon represents Guy's freedom. Actions and names can also be symbolic, like Little Guy worrying about his speech representing Guy's role as a father. Overall, symbolism provides deeper meaning and connects readers to how characters are feeling.

1. By: Beckie Tegethoff & Katlyn Morin

2. What is it?
Symbolism is using
an object or a word
to represent an
idea.
Stories incorporate
symbolism to help
convey meanings of
the story.

3. Young Goodman Brown
By: Nathaniel Hawthorne

4. In “Young Goodman
Brown” his wife, Faith
plays a very impacting role
as a symbol. The pink
ribbons on her cap are
mentioned multiple times,
giving her a pure and
innocent image. Goodman
Brown views Faith as the
good in his life. He has her
to go back to as his reason
to be a good man.

5. When Goodman Brown is faced
by the devil in the forest, the
situation is relatable to biblical
times when Eve is tempted by
the serpent. Ironically, the staff
that the devil offers to
Goodman Brown, looks like a
serpent at the top of it and
gives him an uneasy feeling.
Eventually, he takes the staff
and at the moment his world is
flipped upside down. It is the
beginning of his view of
everyone being evil, and losing
faith in the community
including his wife. The staff
represents him losing his faith
in humanity.

6. By:Edwidge Danticat

7. Symbolism can be found in names:
Guy: Symbolic of a typical father trying to support his family.
Little Guy: Symbolic of a typical son, innocent; wants to be
like Dad.
Lili: Symbolic of purity, virtue and hope.

8. Symbolism can be found in objects:
The fire represents the
burning desire rising in
Guy’s soul to change his
son’s destiny. He wanted his
own life to be different than
his father’s and realizes that
it is not different. He would
do anything to change the
future for his son.

9. For Guy the hot-air
balloon was his
freedom from the pain
he felt from his
inadequacies as a
father and provider.

10. Symbolism can be found in actions:
Little Guy had been given an important part in the school play. He
kept practicing the lines of his speech and was always worried about
forgetting the lines. This was symbolic of Guy’s role as the father to
provide for his family. He felt he was not fulfilling his expected
duties as a father because he didn’t have a job and he couldn’t afford
a better home for them.
Guy was able to make the hot-air balloon fly. This was symbolic
of his desire to become a new person; to show that he was capable
of being a better person. His suicide was symbolic of his freedom
from the life that he wanted to escape.
Lili said “My husband, he likes to look at the sky.” This was
symbolic of Guy’s dreams for the future.

12. By using symbolism authors can provide deeper
meaning beyond what is actually written. It ties
the reader to how they are feeling.
Can you imagine how it would feel to read
material with no added symbolism?

13. Works Cited
Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to
Literature. New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, 2013.