Definition
 A
symbol is an object which stands for something else.
In
language it is a reference in speech or in writing which is made
to stand for ideas, feelings, events, or conditions.
A
symbol is usually something tangible or concrete which evokes something
abstract.
Examples
The
following are standard symbols in the context of
English culture.
- The rose often stands for love.
- The colour red stands for passion.
- The dove stands for peace.
- The ace of spades stands for death.
- The cross stands for Christianity.
Use
All
cultures use symbols which are actual, tangible objects – such
as the cross in a Christian church, the Union Jack flag in the
UK, or the Statue of Liberty in the USA.
These
standard symbols and others more original are evoked by conscious
and deliberate use of language by writers, advertisers and speakers.
Symbols
in the context of language use are sometimes created by the use
of words such as 'cross' or 'rose' or 'blood'.
The
rose has been used so often in connection with love that it has
become a symbol of it.
But
the human heart is also used as a symbol for love - so there can
be more than one symbol for the same thing.
Fire
is often used as a symbol, both for danger and for human passion – so
a single word or object can sometimes symbolise more than one thing.
The
moon is sometimes used as a symbol for the female – because
both have a 'monthly cycle'.
In
literature, a writer such as D.H. Lawrence exploits this symbolic
connction by using images of the moon to stand for female sexuality.
Even
when the word 'moon' itself is not used explicitly in his work,
any pale nocturnal light can have the same symbolic effect in suggesting
the female and her sexual nature.
In
a novel, poem, short story or play, symbols are often introduced
at the beginning and then developed and sustained throughout the
work by means of various literary techniques.
Sometimes
a symbol is created only for the duration of the work in which
it is used. This is called 'context-bound' – because it does
not have symbolic value outside the work.
For
instance, the handkerchief in Shakespeare's Othello is used
as the symbol of Othello's mistrust of Desdemona, his wife. [This
is because it has come into the possession of his 'rival', Iago.]
The material, tangible object stands for the emotion jealousy,
bringing it into dramatic relief for the audience.
A
handkerchief could be used as a completely different symbol in
another piece of work.
Symbols
are used very commonly in daily life. Many road signs are symbols,
as is the traditional red and white pole for a barber's shop. |
