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Power Of Symbols In American Literature

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The power of symbols in American Literature
Symbolism in American culture is very important. A symbol can be anything from: a animal, place, person, idea or an object; an object can have hidden meaning or special context in a story. He/she the writer can boosts the writing experience by using symbols. Symbols can change in their meaning also while seeing in the writer's mind. In the devil and Tom Walker: the Bible, Tom walker , and the swamp are shown as symbols. The Bible represents Holiness, pure goddess,and doing the right things.The swamp represents his shortcut to get to where he's at in wealth and he is willing to take the easy way out. Tom himself represents greed he is so greedy he sells his own soul to achieve wealth. In The Devil and Tom Walker greed plays an important in the story, but I think the story symbolizes the greedy American. This shows or represents that the typical American or even the average person is greedy and would go to greater lengths to fill their greed even as if it was to sell one's own soul. …show more content…

The embankment represents the obstacles that the turtle has to overcome, or the to overcome everyday struggles. The writer also shows that the turtle is able to overcome more when he is able to crush the ant. Another symbol is humankind cause not only obstacles is pushing the turtle, but humans push the reptilian to its limits. While the whole story is about an animal that is paralleled to represent mankind and, its obstacles it has to overcome even from man itself. Also the story I think also the story is trying to tell us if you don't give up on what you trying to accomplish you will be

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Tom Walker comes across the devil when walking through the woods on his way home. The devil reels Tom Walker in by speaking of money hidden away, the devil tells Tom Walker he can help him obtain the money on certain terms. We know Tom Walker is greedy because on page three hundred and fourteen, lines seventeen through twenty two, "...there lived near this place a meager, miserly fellow, the name of Tom Walker. He had a wife as miserly as himself: they even conspired to cheat each other. ..

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Authors are known to use a multitudinous amount of literary devices in their works of literature. Literary devices are used to deliver a deeper meaning than what is shown on the page. One of the most common literary devices used by authors is symbolism. Symbolism is the use of symbols such as an object, person, or action to portray different meanings. In Robert Lipsyte’s book, The Contender, some of the symbols he uses to show the theme is the movies, the cave, and the stairs.

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‘The Devil and Tom Walker’, is mainly about Tom deciding to sell his soul to the devil for his own desires. This does not sound like a great idea in thought, and pays for it in the end. It all begins in a small town by the name of Charles Bay. There is a legenday story that lies within Charles Bay, according to the citizens there is a great treasure burried by Kidd the pirate. Now it is said that Kidd has never returned to claim his wealth(312).

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Through the actions of each character, more specifically, Tom and his wife. Both Tom and his wife show extreme greed when they show they do not care for one another, but for the idea of gaining more wealth. When Tom tells his wife of Kidd’s treasure and his encounter with the Black Man, his wife urges him to accept the deal, however, “...the more she talked, the more resolute was Tom not to be damned to please her. At length she determined to drive the bargain on her own account, and, if she succeeded, to keep all the gain to herself” (Irving 3). This quote alone gives a detailed look into the greed filled character that Tom’s wife is; later on when she goes off to make a deal with the devil, she never returns.

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