Symbol 象征
- sth. that represents sth. else
- a person, object, or event that suggests more that its literal meaning
- not hidden
- cannot be restricted to a single meaning
- suggestive rather than definitive
literary symbols
- traditional, conventional, or public meanings,
- may be established internally by the total context of the work in which it appears
- can be a setting,character,action,object,name,or anything else in a work that maintains its literal significance while suggesting other meanings
Conventional symbols: symbols that are widely recognized by a society or culture. They're used to reinforce meanings by writers.
How to do with symbols?
- Keeping track of the total context of the story → decide whether the reading is reasonable and consistent with the other facts
- be sensitive to the meanings that the author associates with people,places,objects & actions → a close reading of the story will allow us to see how & why the author constructs the symbolic meaning that way.
Allegory 寓言
- a character, object, or incident which indicates a single, fixed meaning
- the primary focus is on the abstract idea called forth by the concrete object
- definitive rather than suggestive
Most modern writers prefer the exploratory nature of symbols to the reductive nature of pure allegory.
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