or – “Using Better, More Meaningful Symbolism”
Symbolism is a powerful element in storytelling. It’s also something that can be difficult to get a grasp on.
One thing that I will tell any writer, amateur or experienced, is this. The best and most powerful way to incorporate symbolism into your stories is to look at what occurs naturally as you plan, outline, and write your stories.
Your mind is naturally drawn to use symbols, and instead of cramming what you think the proper symbolism *should* be into your stories, look instead at what organically flows into your writing. Often, you’ll notice things that recur time and time again. Once you notice these things you can draw attention to them and write around them to give them their proper symbolic place.
Now. That being said, sometimes you will want to intentionally include certain elements in a story as symbols. Let’s take a look at ways to choose proper symbols, things you should perhaps avoid, and how to more meaningfully write symbolism into stories.
Using Small Details to Drop Symbols Into Your Story
Remember – symbols aren’t just about the big picture, or the metaphors you use. Even minute details such as the books your characters read and the weather can be symbols can all be symbols. It just depends on how you use them.
Imagine a child sitting down to color in a coloring book and choosing “Cinderella” – that might be a significant symbol if their father is going to die in two chapters and the story is about their relationship with their stepmother.
Be Aware of Culturally Relevant Symbols
One of the most important things to remember in storytelling is that symbols are varied amongst different cultures. This is incredibly important to keep in mind in this day and age especially, as many of us have grown up learning about Western symbolism in our literature courses.
When you’re writing stories about non-Western protagonists remember to do your due diligence when it comes to using the appropriate symbolism of those cultures and those peoples.
An owl may be a symbol of wisdom in the West, but in some Native American cultures, owls are symbols of death. If you are writing a person of another culture do your research and be sure that the symbol you have chosen is APPROPRIATE for that character and the culture that they come from.
Watch Your Dictionary-Definition Symbol Usage
It’s fun to sort through dictionaries of symbols and to suss out their meanings. But it may not be so fun for readers if you haphazardly throw a symbol into your story as if you expect them to understand what it means, even though they’ve never come across that definition before.
This one is a double-edged sword. There’s nothing wrong with using these sorts of symbols as added flavor. Think of Harry Potter. The different woods of the wands have different meanings. (Yew – the wood Voldemort’s wand is made of – symbolizes death. Holly – the wood Harry’s wand is made of – is closely linked to the crucifixion of Jesus.) But you don’t lose anything if you don’t know this going in. It just adds to the story.
Don’t ditch it altogether if it’s something you enjoy, but don’t rely on it as your sole means of symbolism either. Just think of it as something that adds a bit of spice after you’ve finished cooking up the main dish.
Watch Out for Overused Symbols (But Don’t Count Them Out)
There are a lot of overused symbols out there. When I did a recent Question of the Day, one oft cited example was flower symbolism. And yes, I do get this one. Flowers as a symbol have been used since the dawn of time (and as one reader suggested, they most definitely have been used up as a way to refer to women.)
But just because a symbol has been used often – very, very often – doesn’t mean you can’t use it again. That’s because you can either A.) Intentionally call back to the overuse of the symbol (winking to the reader that this is what you’re doing) or B.) Use the symbol in a completely unexpected way.
Example:
Edmund stepped through the garden, his mind turned to thoughts of Annabelle. She was so unlike the other girls he had met. As he walked, he came across the rose bushes his mother had planted in the spring. They were beginning to die off already, their petals brown.
Only one seemed to still be thriving. He reached out to touch it, but as he did, it drooped and wilted from its branch, tumbling to the earth. A pity. He had wanted to take it to her when he came calling.
And Finally…
Last but not least, always be aware of your story. Watch out for the repeated motifs – that is, the details that come up again and again. These are the symbols that are inherent to your story and that you need to build up to make it your own. Does the importance of family come up in numerous different ways? The power of friendship? The need for self-sacrifice?
There are many different ways to use symbols beyond the most obvious. Symbols can truly enrich a story when used well and can take it to the next level.
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