Diving Deeper into Symbolism

by Noelle Franzen

TpT Store: Teacher in the Rye

You’ve taught your students about symbolism. Let’s say you’ve discussed how the apple in The Giver that changes color only for Jonas might symbolize how different he is than the rest of his family and the people around him. But, what next? Students can say they “get” how the apple is not just an apple, but is there a way to guide them into a deeper connection between the symbolism of the apple and a theme? Maybe Jonas is different because he represents a catalyst for change in an unchanging world. As a teacher, you want to make sure they make those deeper connections.

The Set-up:
I’ve thought about this often; I teach high school freshmen and, with each new group that comes into my classroom, I hope that they have held onto a little of what they learned in middle school. I like to bring up symbolism with my students early in the year. Mostly, it’s a refresher, and we spend about a week throwing around ideas in our warm-ups every day, and then there’s a quiz on what we’ve covered that week.

The Follow-Through:
We then work with symbolism as an isolated lesson where they must find “meaning” within a seemingly unconnected pair: abstract noun and concrete noun. For example, how could a picture frame possibly symbolize disappointment? They figure it out—often with hilarious or sorrowful results. Once, while doing this exercise with an honors class, a boy who just had a crush break his heart wrote about the pain of disappointment in an image that was framed to freeze a perfect moment of happiness. It was strikingly poignant.

After we’ve read a short story, we isolate some symbols and discuss whether or not those objects or people mean anything more than themselves. At this point, I expect them to understand that symbolism is more than its object, but when we read I don’t necessarily want them to be reading to look for objects that might be symbolic of something greater. I hope that they sense meaning first, and then have the lightbulb moment of, “Oh, there’s the connection!”

Extension:
Now we’ve moved on to another reading selection. This time, they need to make a connection between symbols and themes. How could, say, the symbol of the island in the Richard Connell’s short story The Most Dangerous Game connect with the theme of man trying to rule alone, with no laws and no accountability?
When we read our first class novel, we are ready to take symbolism to a new level. Students should not only be able to identify symbols and what they stand for, they also should be able to articulate in writing and in collaborative group discussions how symbols might add to the development of a specific character. This sounds easier than it is for many students. I like to think with practice, and with a little thought, all students can work toward mastering this understanding. What I’m really going for here is that students use different cognitive processes to approach a concept. This symbolism process, if you will, has taken me a while to develop, and it was only a couple of months ago that I was finally able to incorporate this piece of connecting symbols with characters into an activity.

How Diving Deeper into Symbolism (DDS) works:
Step 1: Students have read ¾ of the novel, are familiar with the characters, understand what symbolism is, and are able to recognize the novel’s symbols. If you want to use this with a short story, read the whole text—maybe twice. I am using it with John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, which is full of symbols and perfect for inspecting closely.
Step 2: Students also should complete the Symbolism Level One chart (included in DDS), either on their own or however you’d like to arrange them in class. It also could be finished as homework, but I don’t recommend flat-out assigning it for homework. This portion of the lesson helps students identify and interpret symbols in the text and provide textual examples for each.
Step 3: Have students complete the Quick Write, which is included in DDS, preferably at the beginning of class. This is usually about a 10-minute activity. It directs students to reflect on something they found interesting in the text, two symbols, and three connections to the theme. The quick write serves two purposes: students have something to bring to the group, and you have something to assess students’ understanding.
Step 4: Have students assemble into groups (assigned or random) to complete the Symbolism Level Two worksheet. Provide each group with at least a couple copies of the Universal Symbol Chart for reference. You will have to assign a character to each group. Provide a double-sided copy of the Symbolism Level Two handout if you choose to give each group two characters to focus on. I’d start with one since this may be a new approach for them.

Before they start, give them as much focus as you choose. You may want to point them toward a category from the Universal Symbol Chart. Perhaps what you’re reading lends itself to focusing on one topic more than another. Or, you may require that they look for evidence of all four (colors, seasons, animals, nature). You may want to complete a sample or let them figure it out as a group. Circulate to observe the process.
About 7-8 minutes before the Level Two phase is over, I like to hand out the Group Response Sheet, as it will provide the group an opportunity to synthesize what they’ve discussed and turn that into a single, agreed-upon connection. It will also help them address any clarification issues they are having with the text. You also could wait unit the next day for this. The Group Response Sheets will provide you with starter questions for a whole class discussion.

I love working with my students on this material, seeing what they write, how they think, and listening to the discussions they have with their peers. I hope that this process gives you a framework for diving deeper into symbolism with your students, and that it gives students not only the opportunity to discover meaning in a work of literature, but a rich, new way to approach thinking about a single concept.