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Things Fall Apart Symbolism Essay

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When creating a story, symbolism can be a crucial factor that helps represent ideas and morals that build onto the characters and the work as a whole. Things Fall Apart and The Poisonwood Bible both use a great amount of symbolism to create a picture for the reader and connect ideas throughout the plot. In Things Fall Apart, the harvesting of yams is used as a symbol to represent wealth and fire is also used to describe Okonkwo’s aggressive behavior. The Poisonwood Bible uses a parrot named Meshuselah to represent The Republic of Congo and what they go through. They also refer to the poisonwood tree and the word “bangala” when speaking about Jesus and religion. All of these forms of symbolism help shape the themes and conflicts that arise in the characters lives. The author of Things Fall Apart refers to the cultivation of yams when describing Okonkwo and how masculine he is because of his barn full of yams. The author also refers to yams as being the king of the crops, in an attempt to show how important it is to the Umufio society. Okonkwo’s mood also changes based off of how his crops are doing or what season it is when it comes to harvesting. This makes me think that the yams represent a man's income or wealth, and whether or not he can provide for his family and those around him. This would explain why the …show more content…

The author of Things fall Apart chose to use symbolism to describe a character and what type of personality they have. It also shaped the climax of the story and showed the reader why the characters would make the choices that they did. The Poisonwood Bible chose to use symbolism to describe a whole group of people and show the downfall of them in a tragic end. These two novels show that symbolism can easily be used to manipulate the plot and develop a story as a

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After I have read the Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I realized that there were multiple different symbols that helped convey complex ideas. For me I have found that in the Novel there are three important symbols that help shape the plot of the story and these are Methuselah the Parrot, Palindromes: Which is Ada’s journal, and lastly the green Mamba snake that killed Ruth May. The significance about all of these symbols is that they tend to add a meaning and depth to the story.

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Symbolism is a used in our everyday lives that appears quite often but isn't deeply thought about. The greater meaning of symbolism is using something from a phrase to an image to represent a message. We use symbolism to gain a message in life that forever stays in our hearts. In the book Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, symbolism is used to awe the reader and make them think about the message being sent in the story. Encounter with the two cups

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After World War II, people around the world were skeptical of everything: the government, their leaders, and society as a whole. Many were in a constant state of fear of nuclear annihilation. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, published in 1954, is believed to be a “political and historical allegory, even as a cautionary tale for the leaders of the world” (Henningfeld). The island is what the world would be like after nuclear annihilation, and the demise of the boys is what Golding is warning society about. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, published in 1953, is set in a society that has endured multiple atomic wars.

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Throughout “Things Fall Apart” and “The Poisonwood Bible” symbolism is shown with objects, characters, and places. The use of symbolism helps the reader to understand theme and what the author is portraying. In both books Kingsolver and Achebe use items to show the meaning of something or to get a point across. Both books use many items with symbolism attached to them with a couple from “Things Fall Apart” being the drums and The Mother of the Spirits.

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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.

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Throughout Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, literary devices such as foreshadowing, irony, and others are used to give the reader a deeper understanding of the text, and convey the author 's ideas and points. Examples of these occurrences include how Okonkwo is often described in terms of fire and flames. Okonkwo’s nickname was even said to be “Roaring Flame” (Achebe. Page 153), because to him, the image or thought of fire symbolizes masculinity, potential, and life.

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Although, realizing that he uses symbolism shows the deeper meanings he put behind the objects. Some of the symbols even foreshadowed some of the events that happen in the story. In my opinion, symbolism is a very significant attribute to literature. It can give the reader a new way to look at certain things. It can promote clarification to details that usually aren’t noticeable.

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Things Fall Apart: Literary Analysis In Things Fall Apart, a realistic fiction novel authored by Chinua Achebe, literary devices are used in numerous ways. Imagery, Allusions, Metaphors, and many others are used to develop several essential themes and ideas throughout the extent of the story. One key, elaborate, idea maintained throughout Things Fall Apart is the idea of masculinity and femininity as perceived by the main character, Okonkwo, and the whole of Umuofian culture. In summary, Achebe uses several literary devices and techniques to express many views on the abstract, subjective, concepts of masculinity and femininity.

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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.

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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

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In chapter seven of the book, “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, Achebe uses many biblical allusions such as the locusts representing the ten plagues of Egypt, Okonkwo playing a part in Ikemefuna’s death like the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac, and Ikemefuna portraying a Christ like character throughout the chapter. The locusts swarming Umuofia, Okonkwo having a role in the sacrifice of Ikemefuna, and the way Ikemefuna acts during his sacrifice, all represent biblical allusions. After waiting seven years for the locusts to return, the people of Umuofia are relieved when the locusts finally arrive, “Everyone was now about, talking excitedly and praying that the locusts should camp in Umuofia for the night” (56). The locusts swarming Umuofia is a biblical allusion used by

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Art is way of expression. People can use actions and art or express themselves in ways other than speaking. In the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, symbolism holds a big significance. The trees mentioned throughout the book symbolize Melinda’s changing “seasons” (her “growing” as a person). People, like trees, go through phases, they freeze in the winter, becoming nothing but lonely limbs without leaves covered with white slush.

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Things Fall Apart, a book written by the author Chinua Achebe is a story filled with amazing culture. It is about the rise and downfall of the main character, Okonkwo. The book had many different aspects of the African culture and the different time period. For example, characters and their importance throughout the story, and how women were treated in this culture and time period. Topics from religion, family, and the social complexity were very much involved throughout the entire book and portrayed by many of the characters.

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In this novel,”Things Fall Apart” Chinua Achebe uses symbolism to help connect foreign concepts to explain central themes and ideas. There are many symbols throughout the book,three of the most easily recognized symbols in “Things Fall Apart” are yams,fire,and locusts. Each object has a more deeper meaning then they were thought to have. Each of these objects come up repeatedly through the book because the author is trying to tell us that they don 't just have that one meaning. Yams are symbols of masculinity, wealth, and strength in this novel.

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