ipl-logo

Symbolism In Things Fall Apart And Poisonwood Bible

915 Words4 Pages

In the two books “Things Fall Apart” and “Poisonwood Bible” throughout the whole book symbolism is shown. You see it through characters, things, and places in both books. Symbolism is used in literature when one thing is meant to represent something else. It also helps create meaning and emotion within the story. In “Things Fall Apart” some examples of symbolism would be the Locusts, fire, and growing yams. In “Poisonwood Bible” some more example of symbolism is used, for example, the bow and arrow, pet parrot, the Demonstration Garden, and what Adah uses to speak since she can’t physically speak. Symbolism is also used to help the reader recognize the theme the author is trying to get out. Both Achebe and Kingsolver use this technique to broaden …show more content…

Bow and Arrows are often a symbol of independence and empowerment. So when Leah is starting to distance herself from her father and become more independent from others the bow and arrow help show that. Another way that symbolism is used is through the pet parrot, Methuselah, that was left behind. Methuselah symbolizes the loss of freedom along with the poor outlook for the Congo because it is kept in a cage, having no freedom. Finally when the parrot is let go it keeps returning because it has no knowledge on how to take care and protect itself from predators. This parrot symbolizes just how when the Congo only gained independence for a few months before it was caught by the United States because they were never properly taught how to protect themselves. Another very apparent symbol used in the book is the Demonstration Garden that Nathan planted. The Demonstration Garden that is much like the Garden of Eden represents a new life or beginning. However only after a few days it was all planted it was destroyed and had to be re-built. This symbolizes how Congo had to be rebuilt twice making it so the Congo was getting a new ‘beginning”. Since Adah can’t speak she writes in a palindromes to communicate her thoughts in a journal. Palindromes are a word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backwards as forward. Using this signifies the way that Adah thinks and how she can see things in a different way than what others can. This symbolizes that Adah sees more than one side to things, and will always look for another perspective on something before she makes her final opinion on

Show More
Related
1270 Words | 6 Pages

Kingsolver relates this to various characters in the book, particularly Taylor, Turtle’s adopted mother. In addition to that, the birds in the throughout the story are also a nature based form of symbolism used widely in the book. As Taylor’s life changes so do the sounds the birds make; each of these bird sounds representing different emotions like comfort when the mother quail and her chicks are walking in

Read More
427 Words | 2 Pages

Through biblical allusion, religious analogy, and symbolism O 'Connor expresses the need for god and a savior. She writes the perspective of a young child named Harry who lives in a household without religion. The young man is given the mentality and ideology of Christianity and the value of baptism. He grows for a need to belong to something from his small world and gives his life to Christ.

Read More
1054 Words | 5 Pages

One of the greatest keys to understanding themes in a piece of literature is to look at the different uses of symbolism throughout the novel. Both the novels Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver use symbolism to help better understand the effects of white settlers in Africa as well as the mistakes that are created by arrogance, two themes that apply to both novels. Things Fall Apart uses the symbol of locusts to represent the white settlers and the symbol of fire to represent protagonist Okonkwo's arrogance. Poisonwood Bible uses Nathan’s demonstration garden to represent white settlers and the Poisonwood tree to represent protagonist Nathan’s arrogance.

Read More
1099 Words | 5 Pages

This story used symbolism, imagery, and foreshadowing. An example of symbolism and imagery is the Black Thing. It is a symbol of evil. An example of foreshadowing was the stormy night at the beginning of the story, it foreshadowed the Black Thing and IT. Both are evil beings.

Read More
532 Words | 3 Pages

Symbolism has a big impact on how we view and understand things, it helps us open up and expand the story in our head. Many times authors use symbolism as a way to bring in other well known stories, most of the time they end up being biblical. In the book “Frankenstein” By Mary Shelley light and fire are the main symbols used throughout the whole story. Normally light can be seen as a good with expressions like “ seeing the light at the end of the tunnel” makes for a positive thing.

Read More
100 Words | 1 Pages

Symbolism is a huge part of a book. It’s used to provide meaning beyond what is being described. Symbolism helps to enhance the story, to make it more interesting for the reader. That’s why Hawthorne uses symbolism. He uses it to describe the characters, the theme, the plot, the setting.

Read More
933 Words | 4 Pages

Women have come a long way to fight for their representation. Before females were allowed to vote or work, they were viewed as homemakers; they were their husbands’chattels. Females were considered vulnerable and incapable of intelligence. Should women have to depend on the man of the family to represent their needs? Children of patriarchal societies should have the ability to learn even in college, whether they are male or female.

Read More
1100 Words | 5 Pages

Symbolism in general is the building blocks to all sources of literature and can shape a piece of writing in many ways. Symbols in general can portray what something or someone represents, giving a deeper and metaphorical meaning to a symbol. Symbolism is often used within poetry, literature, music, or even art. This is how an author conveys a different meaning to the audience. For example artists may use the color “red” not only because of the color theory, but to convey love, passion, and maybe even health.

Read More
1435 Words | 6 Pages

Symbolism was one of the things that Atwood was an expert at sprinkling all throughout The Handmaid’s Tale. Although Camus included a substantial amount of symbolism in The Plague, Atwood included more

Read More
868 Words | 4 Pages

Symbolism is when the author uses objects to add deeper meaning to the story without mentioning it in the story. In Flannery O’Connor’s story, “Good Country People”, she uses symbolism to illustrate the antagonist and protagonist with more insight; for example, Manley’s hollow Bible signify how he really does not believe in Christianity, Hulga’s wooden leg portrayed her personality, and her name change represents how she is not the same girl she once was. First of all, the author introduces Manley Pointer as a young man that goes around homes selling Bibles, but little did she know that was not the case. When Manley Pointer goes on a date with Hulga the truth is revealed. Hulga has the impression that Manley is a young nice man that sells Bibles

Read More
1197 Words | 5 Pages

Symbolism can use an object (like a tree of birds), or art, (like Melinda’s art project or Mr. Freeman's canvas) to represent an abstract idea. Laurie Halse Anderson uses symbolism to hint at a certain mood or emotion, rather than just blatantly saying it. So, the use of symbolism is important because it helps create meaning and emotion in a story. Symbolism makes a book fun to read, the symbolism produces a thought provoking work of art and it, (like in this book), adds meaning to seemingly unrelated objects and elicits emotions in the

Read More
189 Words | 1 Pages

Symbolism, the first literary element used in this story. There are many different examples of symbolism use in this story. However the most important are the symbolism of the chestnut tree, cigarettes and the cranes. The chestnut tree was used as a memory. A memory of Friendship.

Read More
876 Words | 4 Pages

In the Poisonwood Bible, Kingsolver uses nature as a central theme of the novel. Barbara Kingsolver explains it perfectly right in the beginning of the novel “The Forest eats itself and lives forever” (Kingsolver 5). This quote is telling you how it is, that the forest has no mercy and just keeps on going forever. Barbra uses many symbols to show the theme of nature. Like the cause of Ruth May’s death, The Green Mamba.

Read More
550 Words | 3 Pages

Symbolism is a literary element used in literary work. Imagery visually descriptive or figurative language especially in a literary work. Allegory is a story or poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. Irony in “The Story Of An Hour” begins to grow after Mrs.Mallard goes upstairs, and after thinking about the fact that she is now

Read More
906 Words | 4 Pages

Characters like Okonkwo and Nathan can represent different things or ideas. Objects like yams and a rocking chair can symbolize ideas like wealth and patriarchy. Both of these authors were very artistic in their symbolism, with even the slightest pronunciation failure making a preacher in the congo talk about death and pain instead of love and happiness. “Living fire begets cold, impotent ash”, the main character realizes his life and actions symbolically affect his family. Its novels like these that have so much symbolism and greater meaning, forcing you to constantly ponder what the author’s intent truly is, that make the read that much

Read More

More about Symbolism In Things Fall Apart And Poisonwood Bible

Related Topics

Open Document