Kristen Saylor discusses the role of symbolism in writing.
When I was applying for college, I, like everyone else, had to think of an answer to the daunting question: What do I want to major in? For me, the answer was easy. I’ve always loved reading, writing, researching and analyzing and dreamed of a job that would allow me to do all of that. English only made sense.
There is one thing, however, that I have always hated about English classes, and it’s something we all had to do in school and probably the reason most people disliked English classes: over-analyzing the symbols in literature. You all know what I’m talking about; it’s when your teacher tries to explain how a certain color signifies how the protagonist feels or how the time of year, such as the seasons, demonstrates the state of the plot or of the relationship between the two main characters.
Symbolism is important in writing, but probably not as important as English courses would have you believe. There are so many “classic” books, which we are made to analyze for symbolism. This only leads to great books such as The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies and To Kill a Mockingbird to be books students dread to read instead of books students look forward to every year. Instead of enjoying stunning characterization and an invigorating plot, students are required to nit-pick at details until the broader theme loses its true meaning.
The fact remains that literary symbolism is real, and it is important. All good novels contain some level of symbolism, whether scathingly obvious or not. In literature, symbolism is usually the latter. Authors tend to be more casual about what is symbolic in their works. You won’t read a novel and find something that just screams “I am a symbol!” There is a subtlety, a finesse, in the way authors include symbols in their works.
Because symbolism is often subtle in form, it also means that it is left to reader interpretation. Sure, some symbols are obvious, such as The Crucible being symbolic of the Red Scare, but most of what you read can be interpreted however you wish to interpret it. If the blue color of the paint on the walls says to you that the character is sad, then maybe that’s what the author was trying to convey. But maybe you believe the walls are blue simply because the characters wanted a blue room, and that’s fine as well.
Be aware of symbols in literary works, but don’t let your hunt for them ruin your enjoyment. Finding out what is and what isn’t symbolic won’t make the overall meaning of the book any different than if you don’t know about the symbols. Literary books, overall, are written for enjoyment, not scholarly application. Authors want you to like reading their works; they don’t want you to dread seeing their name on a required reading list.
Kirsten Saylor is a freshman studying English. Email her at ks749113@ohio.edu.
