The same as in the past, these days, one needs to study the Bible thoroughly to understand it better. One of the aspects of the Bible that should be paid more attention to is the tabernacle, which plays a significant role in the Old Testament. People need to analyze the study about the tabernacle and its symbolism to gather more insight into the Word of God.
The Tabernacle
First, to understand the study about the tabernacle, one should look at its meaning. The tabernacle was intended for God to be able to live among people (Arnold & Bryant, 2015). His followers were supposed to make a sanctuary for God to dwell, and the word tabernacle can be translated as dwelling place (Holy Bible, 1975, Exod. 25:8; Arnold & Bryant, 2015, p. 81). The tabernacles description is provided in chapters 25-31 of Exodus with details on its construction, including the colors that were meant to be used, such as blue, purple, and scarlet (Holy Bible, 1975; Arnold & Bryant, 2015). Chapters 35-39 of Exodus exhibit peoples obedience in following Gods instructions and creating the tabernacle with all the details, including its tent and hooks (Holy Bible, 1975, Exod. 35:11; Arnold & Bryant, 2015, p. 82). Finally, chapter 40 describes the rise of the tabernacle, which was filled with the glory of the Lord, meaning that people created a movable place of God (Holy Bible, 1975, Exod. 40:35; Arnold & Bryant, 2015). The tabernacle represents a transportable tent constructed for God to dwell among people.
The Symbolism of the Tabernacle
Next, the study about the tabernacle can be explained through its symbolism. The tabernacle was meant for God to be amidst the people of Israel on their journey across the desert, so they would be able to worship the Lord (Arnold & Bryant, 2015). With that being said, the earthly tabernacle symbolizes a miniature copy of the heavenly tabernacle where God originally dwells (Caneday, 2020). Before, God communicated with people in the form of pillars of fire and smoke, but with the tabernacle, He was able to join them in the desert (Arnold & Bryant, 2015, p. 81). While it did not encompass Gods true presence on earth, the tabernacle served as a manifestation of his appearance (Caneday, 2020). Moreover, as the insides of the tabernacle were divided, it can be seen to indicate peoples restricted access to God even on earth (Caneday, 2020). Furthermore, the tabernacle symbolizes a place for the Messiah to arrive from heaven and end sacrifices (Caneday, 2020). The symbolism of the tabernacle can be seen as a rather simple representation of Gods dwelling place in heaven and as an expectation of good things to come.
Conclusion
To summarize, the study about the tabernacle explains its significance for the people of Israel in their journey across the desert. The tabernacle was created to indicate that God was among people who acquired a place of worshiping the Lord. The symbolism of the tabernacle signifies Gods presence in a tent that reflects His original sanctuary in heaven and represents an expectation of something good and holy. In Exodus, God gave people detailed instructions on the construction of the tabernacle, so He could dwell in a setting appropriate for Him, and people obeyed, so they could feel His presence. As the tabernacle made God closer to people, it also provided them with a sense of protection and comfort.
References
Arnold, B. R. & Bryant E. B. (2015). Encountering the Old Testament: A christian survey. Baker Academic.
Caneday, A. B. (2020). Gods parabolic design for Israels tabernacle: A cluster of earthly shadows of heavenly realities. The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, 24(1), 103-124.
The belly of the whale is one of the most powerful symbols that illustrate the heros death, which may not always be physical and the rebirth that follows it. The belly may be referred to as the womb, while the darkness within it symbolizes death, and the process of the heros emergence is similar to the act of giving birth (Penn, 2019). The belly of the whale was not by chance chosen to signify rebirth because it relates to the biblical story of Jonah and the Big Fish.
The story is quite well-known, and many people have known it since childhood. It is about a man, Jonah, whom God told to go preach to Nineveh because people who lived there were malicious (Bible Study Tools Staff, 2022). Jonah disliked the idea and tried to escape by sea, but his ship faced a storm, and the man was forced to jump into the water. God then sent a big fish that was probably, a whale that swallowed the man and, thus, saved him from death (BibleStudy Tools Staff, 2022). Jonah spent three days in the whales belly, where he understood that it was wrong to neglect Gods assignment and asked Him to spare him. The whale returned the man to the land, and he went to Nineveh and told its citizens about Gods anger. After that, people there repented, and God gave them mercy.
Jonahs story is often interpreted in many ways and has different messages. The first and most evident one is that every person in the world has debt and responsibilities that need to be fulfilled. People should not neglect them in order to make their existence easier because the things that should be done will follow them no matter where they go. The story also teaches the readers to live their lives through love that is complying with their duty and providing assistance to those who need it.
References
BibleStudy Tools Staff (2022). Jonah and the Whale Bible story. BibleStudy Tools. Web.
Castleberry, S. (2021). One creation: Examining creation myths across time and culture. Ouachita Baptist University. Web.
Penn, A. (2019). The belly of the whale: Heros journey, stage 5 (explained). Shortform. Web.
Nathaniel Hawthorne has primarily used symbolism in his work as a style of narrative maneuver. A symbol like the black color has been used to denote the veil itself. It is a symbol of evil and secret sin of humanity. The veil representation has been commonly used to illustrate fear of the unknown and the rigidity in the puritan society. Besides, the typical nuance veil has rested in the somatic and conceptual disadvantage that it establishes, amid the minister and his brethren and the shame that it articulates.
Hawthorne (89) describes that the congregation trust that the exterior exhibits offers evidence in regard to a persons essential features, thus his or her incredible comportment. Hence by embracing the veil, the minister diminishes the authority on which the faithful can accurately envisage his conduct.
This causes isolation of the minister with his congregation, although he is made reckless already by simple action of wearing the veil. Fragment of the terrifying effect of veil descends from consciousness (Meyer, 65).
The consciousness alludes that the other person is capable of seeing without being identified or seen himself. This is illustrated by members of the congregation when they say the most blameless girl and the man of cynical breast sensed as if the minister had crept on them. Behind this dreadful veil, revealed their amassed unfairness of deed (Hawthorne, 113)
As the congregation cannot aptly predict where the minister is gazing, they trust and assume that they are being watched diligently than normal. This hypothesis is reinforced by the theme of the discourse, which had typified furtive evil and the miserable secrecies which people skin from the rest of society .
Hence, the ministers exemplify the responsibility of God , whose probing examination can decode secret mystery of an individual of the soul. Equally, the wearing of the veil is a signal of being guilty. As a classic illustration for the society, the minister accordingly infers that individuals have to accept the same.
The minister criticizes the people by being chauvinistic and fallen from the philosophy of ethics. They are extremely concerned, with the growing power drilled over them in embracing shared uniqueness of Puritan America. This is apparent in fundamental battle amid the people and society (Hawthorne, 79).
The Ministers black veil symbol can also be illustrated clearly on the universal variance between puritanism and sensitivity, which is the attitude that hominid are dualistic; they have inherent, evil side and an internalized, moralistic side.
Rendering to this set of conjecture, the Evil or darkness as described by Hawthorne, we can infer that darkness is a natural part of an individual (Hawthorne, 97).
The Minister recognizes the evil in him and formulates alternatives to curb obstacles that can preserve his sentient character from intolerable and suppressed self. This obstacle is embodied in the veil (Meyer, 104).
It is subsequently transferred as a reflection of clandestine sin. The congregation epitomizes the cognizant of the persona, which entails the ethics and tenets verbalized by humanity. To evade frightening acuities from inflowing cognizance, they embrace multiple instruments. The multiplicity of these shield instruments is illustrated by the antiphons of ministers homily (Hawthorne, 3).
Various people search for means of appraising the situation, as in case, the existence of others. Others find a way to befuddle themselves from their feelings, by talking and laughing loudly. Other people dismiss or refute their feeling of the situation.
Conclusion
Symbols in Hawthornes play, The Ministers Black Veil illustrate the impenetrable obstacle existing in all human souls. The point illustrated by the symbols alludes that every individual should accept his or her black veil (Meyer, 123). However, if we humans are contented in accepting the evil in them, there is a concern to come when individuals will be compelled to put aside their veils.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Ministers Black Veil, Iowa: Perfection Learning, 2007
Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing, London: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007
Use of symbolism in literature works has been utilized more often to represent true meanings of the stories as conveyed by writers. Presenting symbolism in stories has several advantages.
These include presenting readers with the opportunity to interpret ideas from such works. In addition, symbolism improves a readers critique and presents him/her with valuable poetic analysis skills. Most authors use symbolisms in their works to send clear but silent messages to audience. This helps in giving varied interpretation of literary works.
Another significance of symbolism is its silent message, which appeals to readers. These are usually found in most artistry works. They form the foundation of artistry since almost every message in arts focus on interpretation of symbols and images. Symbolisms are utilized to add quality to the works presented.
This paper will analyze symbolisms used in three literature works presented below. These are in The Cherry Orchard , The Hairy Ape , and Madame Bovary . It will also endeavor to identify at least one symbolism in each of these works as presented by the author.
The Cherry Orchard
This is a story in a Russian setting with several presentations of symbolisms. Among these, include the Cherry Orchard, and Breaking string. This play emphasizes mainly on the past and memory.
For instance, they refer to their room as a nursery even though it is clear that there are no children in it. Symbolism is conveyed in the form of Cherry Orchard, which is heavily presented throughout the play. Almost everything revolves around this symbol. It is quite interesting to note how Ranevsky perceives orchards.
The Cherry Orchard is presented as a huge gigantic tree in Russia and is estimated to produce over 4 million pounds of cherries from one crop. It is quite amazing that with such amount of cherries, Ranevsky cannot be economically sustained. Moreover, Lopakhins estate covers more than 2500 acres, which should be covered by Cherry Orchards.
According to Firs, recipe used to make cherry jam was lost, and this seems to explain why they could not cover most of the estate with Cherry Orchard. This can be seen as a relic of past and symbolizes end to the period when Cherry Orchard was useful. Furthermore, the Cherry Orchards unrealistic size, which is assumed as largest in Russia, presents another symbolism of past memories.
In this regard, the Orchard is symbolized to represent a certain aspect of memory. It is also quite important to note that memory is represented by different characters in varying ways. For instance, each of the characters perceives a different aspect of past events with Orchards. An example is Ranevsky who relates the Orchard with his dead mother whom he perceives to be walking in Cherry Orchards.
In essence, the Orchards represents a symbol of his past that is unwanted and may provide reasons why more crops are not planted in that estate. In this case, the Orchard represents personal relic to Ranevsky, in her idyllic life as a young girl.
Other representations of Orchard include those presented by Trofimov, who observes Serfs faces in the orchard. The Serfs had died as slaves in that Estate.
To him this orchard reminds him of suffering the slaves underwent. Lopakhin on the other hand sees Orchard as a representation of his brutal childhood and a hindrance to prosperity. Evidently, each character has a reason to like or hate the crop, no wonder it is magnified in unrealistic manner. It can also be noticed that here is a major division between the youth and old.
According to Lopakhin, the orchard presents an obstacle to prosperity, while in the case of Ranevsky, its past memories are relishing. This is a further proof of the Orchards representation of past memories. It is therefore quite clear that every event and happenings as well as characters try to relate to Cherry orchards in one way or another. The orchard is therefore used as a symbolism in this play.
The Hairy Ape
The Hairy Ape is another story that reveals more about social and cultural realities. This is quite evident in Firemen and Yanks residence, which is conveyed as a formidable cage.
This place contrasts Mildreds environment. Several symbolisms are used in this story, these include Steel, Apes, Thinkers, among others. The paper therefore exposes deterioration of civilized individuals into an animalistic being. This is observed in their lifestyles. For instance, Yank thinks he is an Ape. Apes have been used as a representation of symbolism in this story, the Hairy Ape.
This can be seen throughout the story. In fact, Apes appears almost in every part of this story. Yank is referred to as an Ape and this makes him think he really is an Ape. He goes on to inform people that he is an Ape, which makes it quite interesting. Similarly, Mildred also thinks she is an Ape, which continues to emphasize on its use as a symbolism throughout the novel.
According to Senator Queen, American civilization is degenerating back to Apes, with a reflection of true Ape in Scene 8. In addition, Queen attributes this to Wobblies that characterize American population. In this context, Ape is used to symbolize man, who at this state does not need technology. The Ape is also used to represent man who is behind in technological advances, class, and elements of the contemporary society. In this sense, Apes main concern is survival.
Yank is continually linked with his relatives who were considered as primates. In fact, just like the Apes, Yank struggles to think and is majorly concerned with ways of survival.
In addition, his understanding is at its lowest since he does not comprehend the class system that exists in his surroundings. Moreover, his language is also the lowest and basic, at best. Yank is also territorial and obstinate; these descriptions also match male Apes. Another similarity that can be drawn from Yank and Apes is the fact that they are both aggressive and bull headed.
From these descriptions, it is clear that Ape is used to symbolize backwardness in light of civilization. It has also been employed to symbolize the need to think beyond survival. This is observed in Yanks way of life, which only focuses on survival in his setting. Moreover, the setting is also described as a cage. In essence, Ape has been applied throughout this story as a symbolism.
Madame Bovary
This novel starts in a school setting where the author tries to introduce his character Charles and Emma as well as their behaviors. The novel also conveys varied symbols such as The Blind Beggar , Dried Flowers , and The Lathe , among others.
These have several meanings and messages conveyed by those symbolisms. One clear symbolism portrayed in this novel is the portrait of physical decay. The Blind beggar is seen to follow Emmas carriage, as she moves to meet Leon.
This is used to show moral imbalance on Emmas side. The beggars songs also symbolize despair in his movement towards Emmas carriage. The songs are about birds, green leaves, as well as sunshine. Another observation that comes out clearly is the fact that innocence has been intertwined with diseases to symbolize Emmas combination of beauty and moral corruption.
Even though Emma can be seen as a beautiful wife and innocent, her spirit is conveyed as corrupt and foul. This is quite evident in her way of life. She indulges in temptations of adultery and continues in deceit to keep hold of her illicit affair. Much later, after Emma dies, the beggar finishes his song by speaking about a dreaming girl.
It is at this moment that a reader realizes the kind of songs sung by this beggar, songs with emphasis on bawdy and romance. Clearly, the beggar mirrors Emmas life from innocence, through to her life, which is full of degradation and illicit affairs.
It is quite important to note that this beggar is blind. Therefore for a blind person to mirror a normal human being in his son, symbolizes the extent of actions committed by Emma. She begins her life as an innocent wife, taking good care of her husband, with a beauty that flourishes in her youth.
Later on, she gets corrupt and immersed in adultery, which degrades her even though only the opposite can be seen by her observers. In addition, she is quite deceptive and does this to cling on to an illicit affair. In essence, the beggar standout as a symbolism throughout the story as he mirrors Emmas life and gives an observer the level of degradation Emma has gone into.
Conclusion
Symbolism is used throughout these three novels. In the first case, Symbolism is conveyed in the form of Cherry Orchard, which is heavily presented throughout the play. Almost everything revolves around this crop. The Cherry Orchard is presented as a huge gigantic tree in Russia and is estimated to produce over 4 million pounds of cherries from one crop.
It is quite amazing that with such amount of cherries, Ranevsky cannot be economically sustained. In the second story, symbolism is applied by referring to Yank as an Ape. The Ape is used to represent man who is behind in technological advances, class, and elements of the contemporary society.
In essence, Apes main concern is survival. Yank is continually linked with his relatives who were considered primates. In fact, just like the Apes, Yank struggles to think and is majorly concerned with ways of survival.
In addition, his understanding is at its lowest since he does not comprehend the class system that exists in his surroundings. Moreover, his language is also the lowest and basic, at best. Lastly, symbolism is also used in the third novel, Madame Bovary .
In this novel, the beggar is used to mirror Emmas lifestyle, which moves from innocence as seen in her beauty to corruption of mind and soul as she indulges in temptations of adultery and continues in deceit to keep hold of her illicit affair. In essence, symbols are used to represent concepts and ideas as represented in characters, colors, and objects, among others.
In both The Ministers Black veil and The Birthmark, Hawthornes use symbolism of symbolism is conspicuous. In The Birthmark he says, The crimson hand expressed the ineludible gripe in which mortality clutches the highest and purest of earthly mould& symbol of his wifes liability to sin, sorrow, decay, and death (Hawthorne Para. 9). Hawthorne makes it clear that he is using birthmark as a symbol of mortality, decay and susceptibility to sin.
On the other side, in The Ministers Black Veil, he says, All through life the black veil had hung between him and the world. It had separated him from cheerful brotherhood and womans love&shade him from the sunshine of eternity (Hawthorne Para. 12). The black veil here symbolizes the sin that the minister had committed with the dead mistress; that is, sex.
Symbolism in these two stories touches on human failures and sinful nature. The birthmark is a sign of Georginas susceptibility to sin, sorrow, and mortality. As aforementioned, this birthmark shows Georginas indebtedness to sin and her eventual death. Men constantly found Georgian attractive because of her birthmark. Georgianas lovers were wont to say that&as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection (Hawthorne Para. 6).
This statement makes it clear that the birthmark symbolized Georginas indebtedness to sin. She had lovers and this is sinful. On the other side, the black veil worn by the minister is a symbol of his sins. Critics like Alan Poe say that, Minister Hooper may have had an affair with the young lady who died at the beginning of the story.
Coincidentally, this is the first day he wears the veil, and that a crime of dark dye, (having reference to the young lady) has been committed, is a point which only minds congenial with that of the author will perceive (Poe 188). Not even the dead maiden can stand the face of the minister for she would be fearful of her glance (Hawthorne Para. 16).
This means that there is connection between the black veil and the dead maiden and the most probably thing that could link the minister to the dead maiden is having sex which is sinful. Therefore, symbolism in these two stories stands for human indebtedness to sin.
While symbolism in The Birthmark comes out clearly, in The Ministers Black Veil, use of symbolism is ambiguous. Hawthorne makes it clear that Georginas birthmark is selected as a symbol to show her indebtedness to sin.
However, the symbolism of the black veil worn by the minister represents symbol of symbols . The Ministers Black Veil introduced the notion that Hoopers black veil functioned as a symbol of symbols, since its meaning could never be ultimately determined (Carnochan 9).
Therefore, the contrasting feature of symbolism as used in these two stories comes out clearly, by considering the preciseness of the meaning of the symbols used. Birthmark clearly represents Georginas indebtedness to sin; however, the black veil may mean anything depending on the view of the reader.
Hawthornes use of symbolism comes out clearly in The Ministers Black Veil and The Birthmark. Georginas birthmark is a sign of her obligation to sin; she had lovers who admired her because of the birthmark, which is sinful. Moreover, her husband points that the birthmark shows her earthly imperfection. The black veil worn by the minister symbolizes his sins; he had an affair with the dead maiden.
However, while the meaning of the birthmark comes out clearly, the black veil worn by the minister may mean, symbol of symbols . The use of black veil as symbol of symbols indicates ambiguity of the same; the only contrasting feature in the use of symbolism in these two stories.
Works Cited
Carnochan, Winston. The Ministers Black Veil: Symbol, Meaning, and the Context of Hawthornes Art. New York; California University Press, 1969.
The story, Snow , by Ann Beattie is a story of love and the brevity of the happy moments in life. The story reveals just how a short, seemingly insignificant moment in life, can end up being forever etched in the memory of a person. The author seems to deviate from the conventional outlook on life and the meaning of life experiences. This is clearly revealed in the significance that the snow and the winter season have upon her life.
This is contrasted in the mans, her lover, perception of the same snow that seems so significant and nostalgic to the narrator. The other objects in the story which are associated with snow and enhance the symbolism include the snow plow and wallpaper. This essay will show how snow has been used symbolically in the story and how the symbols expressed are different for the man and the woman.
For the woman, who also happens to be the narrator and protagonist in the story, snow represents the nostalgic memory she has of a love affair that happened during a winter in the country. One of the ways in which the snow is used to evoke this memory is the way she remembers the man. She recalls a special instance when the man asked her to teach him how to tie a white towel on his head like a turban.
This specific incidence brought to her mind the picture of a crazy king of snow. This is how she regarded the man as he went about shoveling the walk. The snow is thus symbolically used to signify the territory upon which the man was king as he worked.
For the man, however, the same event brings different meaning and symbolism. The man, ironically, regards the snowy night as cold, grim and very boring due to its repetitiveness. This contrast in perception of snow is enhanced when the narrator says that you remember it differently.
The man also wishes that the woman would not mention the snow by telling her that any life will seem dramatic if you omit mention of most of it (Shreve & Nguyen, 2005).
To the man, the snow was everything that was wrong with the story. However, to the woman, the whole story revolved around, and was defined by, the snow. The woman recalls the man as being the king of the snow, but the man only remembers the incidence as a tedious chore that he would have done without.
The woman also uses the snow to symbolize the ideal world. This is clearly brought out when she recalls looking up at the sky and then thinking of the snow that was falling: It seemed that the world had been turned upside down, and we were looking into an enormous field of Queen Annes lace.
This is a paradoxical symbolism of snow because Queen Annes lace is a flower that grows in the summer. The final symbolism that the narrator uses for the snow is how she perceives her lips to move when she says the word snow. To her, snow is a romantic word because her lips form the shape of a kiss whenever she says the word.
Reference
Shreve, P. & Nguyen, B. M. (2005). 30/30: Thirty American Stories from the Last Thirty Years. London: Longman Publishers.
Snell, M., The Dream of the Rood , About.com. The Article provides a comprehension discussion on the poem titled The Dream of Rood. The origins of the poem in the article are stated to be in the early eighteenth century which was actually unearthed in the late nineteenth century. The context of the poem as per the article is based on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and used symbolism to describe his execution. The criticism against the poem has been highlighted pertaining to the use of pagan beliefs and values as symbolism for Christianity. Moreover, the article also discusses the concept that the poem was a deliberate attempt to bring Christianity closer to the pagans and attract them towards the religion in order to convert them.
The Dream of the Rood | Introduction , ENotes.com. The article is very organized and structured, depicting an introduction to the poem, the major plots of the poem as well as the characters in it as well as providing the contextual history of events that take place in the poem. The article also discusses the specific criticism raised for the poem pertaining to positive as well as negative reception of the poem. The positive reception related to the themes of the poem and the literary quality while the negative reception relates to the last few lines which seem to have been written by someone other than the author as they are inconsistent in quality, literary sense as well as style when compared to the rest of the book. The article also discusses the themes of the book which pertain to battle and triumph which is described as the result of the event of the crucifixion.
Scylding, The Dream of the Rood is a poem about transformation , Germania, 2004. The article by Scylding reveals the prom titled the dream of the road in a slightly different light. According to the author, the poem provides us with the passion of Christ as well as his crucifixion. The detailed description of the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus more enhanced with the use of symbolism creates the literature an interesting read. The article also states the occurrence of the specific events which in the proem are to lead to the Day of Judgment and the rise of Christ again. The perspective of the article however is specific to Anglo Saxon culture and religion, i.e. how the poem depicts and symbolizes the Anglo Saxon traits and heritage in its context. The author of the article also discusses in his works that the poem depicts the desired characteristics that should be present in a hero/warrior, through the traits and characteristics represented in Jesus Christ. According to the author, the weak figure of Christ has been transformed into a very established and heroic [personality through the works in the prom titled The Dream of the Rood.
Treharne, E., The Dream of the Rood , The Literary Encyclopedia, 2003. Treharne the author of the article regards the work titled Dream of the Rood as a highly established, exalted, and potent work of art that is a literary authority in its own position. The article discusses the theme of the prom relating to the life of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion as well as the arrival of the Day of Judgment and the imminent resurrection of Christ himself. According to the author the in the short poem the Dream of the Rood, the narrations of the poem is done in a manner to represent the horror fear as well as awe in witnessing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and how in a symbolic manner it aided in spreading the word of Christianity to the four corners of the world. The author also provides that the poem has been translated and interpreted in numerous diverse ways by different scholars however the underlying theme of the poem is uncontested which pertains to effect the Christ has on his disciples even after his demise.
Graybill, R.V., The Dream of the Rood: Apotheosis of Anglo-Saxon Paradox. Graybill also discusses the poem titled the Dream of the Rood in the light of the Saxon beliefs and values and how it provides for the Saxon paradox. According to the author, the poem presents the true spirit of Christianity which in the world of today has been much diversified and diluted due to commercialism well as separation from the religion on part of the followers. The author also discusses the theme of the poem as being very potent, intriguing, and powerful, written as a time when the Saxons were considered to be oafs and a ridiculous race that is willing to accept the Christian missionaries. The poem lays forward the true spirit of Christianity and which is forgiveness and mercy as depicted by the author in the article.
Themes and Symbolism in The Dream of the Rood
The poem titled the Dream of the Rood is considered to be one of the earliest English literary poems about the religion of Christianity and Christ himself. The proem seems to be apparently very dark as it tends to deal extensively and in detail with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and how the crucifixion actually aided Christianity is spreading far and wide into the world. Snell describes the poem as being profound in nature and providing a glimpse into early Christian England. (Snell)
The main theme of the poem has been describing as that of a battle that is especially eloquent and apparent at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The struggle on part of the Christ and the position he faces faced with leading to his crucifixion portrays him in a positive light as being a hero and savior of the people, while in actually as history describes it, he was actually a very weak person physically who faced harshness at the hands of the Jews and the nonbelievers. The strong imagery used by the author of the poem tends to portray Christ in a very heroic light. Aside from this, the context of the poem is very religious as its presentation and eloquence tend to be based on the many hymns that are present in the religion of Christianity.
Aside from this symbolism has been extensively used in the poem as well which basically relates to the use of the cross and the depiction of the crucifixion as a happy event. The dream vision uses strong, virile images of Christ in order to reach members of the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture, who valued strength above humility. (Snell) Some of the critics of the poem have stated that this was an attempt on the part of the author of the poem to deliberately attract the pagans to Christianity and show them the relevance of the crucifixion as a battle won by the Christians.
Moreover, the use of symbolism in the poem also depicts how Christianity and the image of Jesus have been adopted by people to suit their cultures in different contexts around the world. An examination of The Dream of the Rood indicates a double-sided weltanschauung worthy of the most subtle and sophisticated. The rood is both a physical entity and a spiritual symbol, but these are not separated in the poem. Despite the fact that later Christianity divided and dichotomized the form of the spirit, The Dream of the Rood unites the physical and the spiritual in such a way that the uniting, the resolution of the paradox, is determined through deep religious faith. (Graybill) The poem also builds upon the cross which stands as a symbol for crucifixion.
The cross carries multiple meanings for Christian as it represents the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as well as provides the extent to which Christianity has spread across the world. The four corners of the cross are depicted in the poem to be the warriors of Jesus Christ at the time of the crucifixion which is depicted as a battle in the poem. The poem presents the warriors who were marred with the blood of Jesus Christ carrying with them the message of the religion of Christianity to the four corners of the world.
References
Greenblatt, Stephen, ed. The Norton Anthology of English LiteratureVol. I. 8th ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2005. (ISBN: 0393925315).
Snell, M., The Dream of the Rood , About.com. Web.
The Dream of the Rood | Introduction , ENotes.com. Web.
Scylding, The Dream of the Rood is a poem about transformation , Germania, 2004. Web.
Treharne, E., The Dream of the Rood , The Literary Encyclopedia, 2003. Web.
Graybill, R.V., The Dream of the Rood: Apotheosis of Anglo-Saxon Paradox . Web.
Symbolism as a literary tool has been available to writers since the very beginning of literature as such. According to its name, it implies the use of symbols in order to convey the message indirectly. A symbol as such is not tied to anything in particular it can be a person, object, or place that, apart from its actual meaning, figuratively implies a more complex context. For instance, the Sula novel written by Toni Morrison holds numerous symbols that, due to the number of possible interpretations, illustrate the true meaning behind the text ambiguity.
The Birthmark
One of the most obvious symbols presented in the novel is a large birthmark on the forehead of one of the storys protagonists Sula Peace. Due to its position and size, the natives of Bottom frequently express their visual associations, hardly being able to ignore the mark. The ambiguity of the birthmark is apparent from the authors description of the mark: The birthmark over her eye was getting darker and looked more and more like a stem and rose (Morrison 74). Particularly, the mark grew darker with Sulas age, which can be interpreted as her becoming more mature. Moreover, it also corresponds to the characters emotional state in her fight against the growing sadness.
In the meantime, the authors comparison of the birthmark with a rose contributes to Sulas feminine qualities. In this regard, Sulas feminine qualities are often contraposed to various masculine manifestations, such as the desire for freedom and independence not accessible to women of that time (Nedaee and Salami 117). The combination of these factors portrays Sula as a rather androgynous character that combines the beauty of a young female and a strong will of a committed man. The former invokes positive responses in the storys characters, whereas the latter is the reason why the Bottom community cannot accept Sula as she is.
Apart from physically distinguishing Sula from other characters, the birthmark allows readers to learn more about the people Sula meets throughout the narration. Similar to Rorschachs inkblot psychological test, it reveals the thoughts, fears, and concerns of anyone who attempts to interpret it. The characters that display negative attitudes toward Sula associate the mark with a snake, implying Sula is evil and even dangerous to society (Morrison 104). Meanwhile, Shadrack, the fisherman, sees a tadpole in it, which might imply he saw the strength and potential of youth in Sula (Morrison 156). All in all, the birthmark proves to be an ultimate symbol in the story due to its overwhelming and multifaceted ambiguity.
Fire
Fire plays an important role in the plot, namely because it is the reason behind the deaths of Sulas family members Hannah and Plum. On the one hand, fire can be considered a dreadful and destructive factor that ended Hannah and Plums lives and brought great sorrow to Sula. On the other hand, however, Morrison leaves various clues that picture the fire as beautiful and even merciful. The fires beauty is conveyed through the authors effort to describe the events in a particularly detailed fashion. In turn, the fires mercy is figuratively implied in Plums case since it managed to end his deep suffering due to war memories and heroin addiction (Morrison 45). Overall, the fires contradicting qualities can be interpreted as a symbol of life as such and its complex, ever-changing nature. In addition, fire can symbolize Sulas character as well since she can both burn and soothe in the same fashion.
The Plague of Robins
Upon Sulas return to her hometown after the long journey toward self-realization, she noticed a large flock of birds in the sky. Morrison provides an unusual description, calling it a plague of robins (89). The plague becomes the symbolic association the people of Bottom have regarding Sulas return (Pruitt 117). They are not able to accept her way of life and worldview, which is why they attempt to portray Sula as a bad omen. In this context, Morrison intentionally used the word plague, which does not fit the context of flying birds. It signalizes the subjective freedom of interpretation, or, in other words, that people see what they wish to see. Even a flock of birds can become an ominous sign if it is labeled a plague. Thus, the plague of robins symbolizes bias, once again highlighting the variety of meanings different people can have regarding the same object.
Conclusion
By providing greatly ambiguous symbols, Morrison conveys her message regarding ambiguity and the power of interpretation. Sulas birthmark proves to be the symbol with the greatest number of interpretations. Not only is it seen differently from the perspective of the books characters, but it also leaves room for readers to decide. Meanwhile, the fire that simultaneously brings dread and salvation showcases that even the most contradicting qualities can coexist within one symbol. Finally, the appearance of the plague of robins an event that can be seen both positively and negatively illustrates how subjective and willingly blind people can be in their judgment.
Works Cited
Morrison, Toni. Sula. New York: New American Library, 1987. Print.
Nedaee, Naeem, and Ali Salami. Toward an Affective Problematics: A Deleuze-Guattarian Reading of Morality and Friendship in Toni Morrisons Sula. Atlantis (Salamanca, Spain), vol. 39, no. 1, 2017, pp. 11331.
One of the main reasons why Dubliners represents one of the best literary works to address the notion of symbolism in James Joyces work is the existence of numerous paradigms, such as Irish trauma, isolation, social paralysis, and poverty. Therefore, it can be safe to say that the social identity of the Irish was carefully covered by Joyce in most of the short stories in Dubliners. From family to religion, there are numerous topics that the author operates on in order to utilize symbolism freely and see how an identity crisis is met by different members of Irish society. At the time when Dubliners was published in 1914, Irish society suffered from a strong crisis that was backed by patriotism and the drive for independence and identity.
It was an essential problem for James Joyce to reinvent the Irish identity through literature, so it was necessary for him to utilize symbolism to address some of the issues. In a sense, Dubliners is a work about awareness, desires, and actions that ultimately contributed to the Irish gaining their social and cultural identity. Even though there are various metaphors for independence, the author of the current paper is going to look into Dubliners to find out how symbolism contributed to the Irish overcoming the identity crisis. With the aid of four short stories from Dubliners The Sisters, The Dead, The Araby, and An Encounter the author intends to cover the aspect of Irish social identity and norms as being discovered through the interface of symbols concerning Ireland and the Irish as a nation.
The Sisters is one of the most critiquing parts of Dubliners because it plays around with religious and ethical topics that touch upon everyday life and individual struggles. One of the main tasks for the characters in The Sisters is to find a believable truth and side with it. The topic of social conformity runs through the novel, and Joyce tries to highlight the established beliefs that might have a negative effect on the Irish. Nevertheless, The Sisters represents one large symbol hinting at the Irish social identity through ideology and language: We blessed ourselves and came away (Joyce). It is shown by the author that the main characters of the story hardly try to overturn the existing ideological structures (Eskandari 313). For the most part, it happens because Irish morality and national identity have already shaped them into obedient members of the community who do not object or revolt before the situation reaches the worst possible outcomes. This is why Joyce introduces the character of Nannie in The Sisters, a clumsy personality that has trouble interacting with others.
The symbol that Joyce tries to convey in The Sisters is the passive nature of the Irish nature that averts local people from changing their lives for the better. Throughout the story, Nannie tends to sit behind her sister, which displays her inherent obedience and the lack of somewhat of a rebel character. This portrayal is also accompanied by Nannies visual clumsiness because she tends to dress awkwardly, which is another nod to the Irish and their lack of confidence and unwillingness to stand out among others (Roos 215). Throughout The Sisters, Nannies behavior becomes more and more inappropriate. At a certain point, she even falls asleep in front of guests: Nannie had leaned her head against the sofa-pillow and seemed about to fall asleep (Joyce). Not only is this a stereotypical view of female characters in Dubliners, but this is a hint at how the Irish circumscribed themselves to remain passive and comforting. Similar to contemporary women, Irish people functioned as servants to the cultural imperatives that made them passive and unwilling to transform their everyday lives.
In An Encounter, Joyce also exploits the topic of paralysis to reach valuable, detailed social identity representations. The characters in this story pursue only one objective to escape their routine lives and fight the boredom. Nevertheless, their adventure-seeking behaviors get overshadowed quickly by their willingness to remain obedient and turn their back on anything that might separate them from the routine (Gaeini et al. 96). Joyce portrays the main characters of the story as young schoolboys to develop an understanding of how the Irish are learning to endure the routine from the very childhood: When we were tired of this sight we wandered slowly into Ringsend (Joyce). The topic of creating excitement is one of the most often addressed in Joyces writing, so it is crucial to look at the main characters as a symbol of the Irish people. Thus, An Encounter criticizes the whole Irish society because of its keenness on remaining in isolation and maintaining a passive stance.
Therefore, An Encounter portrays the Irish as a nation of overthinkers who miss out on the majority of their opportunities because of ignoring the importance of changing the routine. The young schoolboys skip school to visit the The Pigeon House in Dublin (Ferhi and Zerar 277). Upon their arrival, the boys are confronted by a strange old man who eventually scares them with his creepiness and weird questions. The main characters of the story start feeling uneasy and come up with fake names in order to protect themselves from any drastic consequences of talking to the weird old man: I saw him walking slowly away from us towards the near end of the field (Joyce). The narrator experiences a natural speech paralysis when he hears that the weird old man fantasizes about spanking one of the boys. In a sense, the story shows that the Irish are discouraged from changing their lives because they expect that something bad is going to happen to them.
The inability to access a new, healthy routine disrupts the lives of those willing to pursue their dreams and go to Dublin to find all the answers. This is why Joyce criticizes the Irish and makes it tangible that the majority of them were too obedient to escape the burden of the old routine. Even though his use of symbols is too lopsided in An Encounter and does not leave room for any alternatives, the overall mood is evident. As soon as the Irish recognize that the old routine is not as dangerous, they will never try to change their lives again in the future: We were serious to the point of solemnity (Joyce). Regardless, the idea is that no one should let the circumstances affect their change-related decisions, especially if those decisions are aimed at transforming ones life and pursuing unconventional desires. As a voluntary exile, Joyce could have written An Encounter to motivate the Irish to leave Dublin and pursue their dreams somewhere else.
The Araby is a short story written by James Joyce to showcase the importance of contemporary Ireland not being represented properly. The presence of historical and geographic specifics ultimately separated Ireland from the rest of the world. This is why Joyce often touches upon the topic of socializing agency and capitalizes on the idea of displacement as an essential contributor to the development of national identity (Maniee and Mansouri 205). Thus, the problem of national representation becomes a unique mix of obstacles related to achievements and a common vision that unites the Irish. With Joyces help, the representation of social identity goes beyond the aesthetics of politics. This means that Ireland is seen by Joyce as a realm that has been overpowered by political movements that did not bring any real value to the table. Accordingly, The Araby is a symbolic short story because it dwells on how politics absorb individuals and make it harder to escape the day-to-day struggle of Irish politics.
In The Araby, Joyce capitalizes on how the Irish society became politicized and craved to participate in the socio-economic life of the country. Prior to discussing the symbols in this short story, it is important to contextualize the findings by pointing out how Joyce epitomizes modernization. When he describes modern Ireland, he often resorts to the sentiments of hindrance and disturbance (Jok 324). Joyce ultimately considers contemporary Ireland to be a failure due to the increasing stagnation and stillness that were linked to the English pressure and other atrocities. Without a certain direction, the Irish society had to go through a state of paralysis that was preceded by a complete spiritual void. In Dubliners, quite a few characters struggle with different types of paralysis because they are either unable or unwilling to break the vicious circle and avoid routine actions in the future. Instead of pursuing dreams, characters tend to live their common lives and give in to the routine.
Overall, The Araby contains some of the best figurative examples hinting at the lack of social identity in the Irish. Joyce introduces the readers to three female characters the boys love interest, the boys aunt, and the stall attendant. The boy is the narrator of the story who experiences frustration throughout the story, with each of the characters being a representation of a certain paralysis (Heininge 268). For example, the stall attendant and the narrators love interest are mere symbols of people not being able to escape the system. They are treated as sexual objects, with no right or willingness to alter the state of affairs and gain freedom. This is a hint at contemporary Irish politics. Joyce uses female characters to strengthen the effect of this symbolic comparison when the narrator visits the bazaar.
For instance, the narrators aunt is an example of a character affected by the lack of social identity because she is barely invested in what goes on around her. When the boy informs her of going to the Araby market for the first time, the aunt is surprised. The only subject that concerns her is if it is not some kind of Freemason affair (Joyce 3). This is a slight hint at how many people overlook what goes on around them in order to remain engaged in their own routine. The Araby was written by Joyce to highlight the importance of keeping up with the latest updates in the area of politics in order to avoid stagnation. The narrators aunt is the biggest symbol of social identity malfunction because she does not care about anything except her routine. Thus, Joyce appeals to the audience by highlighting the fact that the aesthetics of politics cannot be overlooked when one expects to change their life and achieve something new.
Based on how Joyce describes the Irish in The Dead, it can be concluded that the main characters of the story are trapped in routine, just like any other characters from The Araby, The Sisters, and An Encounter. During one of the monologues taking place in The Dead, the spokesman touches upon the topic of the annual parties being an opportunity to trap the guests and make them dependent on such hospitality (Fuchs 281). This is a symbol of the Irish remaining seriously contingent on how England treated them throughout the years with no chance to break the routine. Thus, each of the guests visiting the aunts house is an Irish person depending on the mainland. The Dubliners seem to approve of this connection because they have no other choice but to accept their association with the English. Joyce carefully utilizes this symbol to help the readers recognize the impact of external influence on the Irish.
The biggest hint at the connection between Northern Ireland and England is the story told by Gabriel about a horse named Jonny. Throughout its whole life, it was supposed to pull on the starch mill. It quickly became a habit for the horse, but Johnnys owner decided to go for a ride instead of going to the mill. Nevertheless, when walking near the mill, the horse began walking around the statue of King Billy as if it was supposed to go back to pulling on the starch mill again (Ferhi and Zerar 273). It is a story about a horse that Joyce utilizes to force the audience to read between the lines and recognize how the Dubliners and Britain are interconnected. It shows how the Irish are still turning around the statue even when they have been freed from the routine.
The conclusion that can be made after looking at the symbols left by Joyce throughout The Dead is that Irish people are closely linked to the Mother Land and its impact on their everyday lives. Indeed, the textual evidence in Dubliners indicates an exceptionally strong connection to their native land in the main characters. Specifically, The Dead features an array of details that point t the wistful sense of nostalgia for the native land and the need to reconnect with ones roots. For instance, one of the characters starts speaking in a distinctively Dublin accent when lowering his voice to a whisper (Joyce).
Moreover, the elements of Irish culture are mentioned throughout the story in a seemingly unintentional yet very insistent manner, thus, evoking the sense of nostalgia in the reader and establishing a strong emotional connection between the protagonist and his native land. For instance, during some of the key points in the story, the Irish quadrille is mentioned: A red-faced young woman, dressed in pansy, came into the room, excitedly clapping her hands and crying: Quadrilles! Quadrilles! (Joyce). By rendering the impact that the sounds of the traditional Irish music have on the characters, Joyce manages to convey the full gamut of emotions that the character experiences when remembering his motherland. Remarkably, even though the Irish quadrille is only mentioned in passing, it still adds a unique touch of colorful detail to the portrait of the protagonists native land, thus, allowing the reader to picture it and relate to the protagonists longing for reconnecting with his roots.
Thus, at any given moment, the Irish could associate themselves with fish in an aquarium since they did not have to do anything to remain satisfied with their lives. Therefore, the Dubliners are not prone to risking their everyday routine to overcome the consequences of being freed: I felt even annoyed at discovering in myself a sensation of freedom as if I had been freed from something by his death (Joyce). Similar to Jonny, Joyce considered the Dubliners unable to stay away from doing certain things out of habit, even if there were no external forces to impose limitations on them.
In all of the short stories reviewed within the framework of the current essay, the readers could find symbols hinting at the troubles the Irish had attempting to accept their new social identity. The instances of stereotypical thinking and behaviors were included in the stories to show how many Dubliners were not able to become either British or Irish. Thus, Joyce plays around with the main characters cultural incompetence and lack of awareness to hint at the inability of the Dubliners to identify with either Ireland or Britain. The characters are not able to escape the routine because they are not willing to persevere uncertainty and the need to escape paralysis. In a sense, Dubliners is an important literary artwork because it displays the cyclical nature of social identity misrepresentations and their impact on individual citizens and the whole nation.
Works Cited
Eskandari, Safoura. Social and Religion Paralysis in James Joyces Short Story The Sisters : A Cultural Reading. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal (BIRCI-Journal), vol. 3, no. 1, 2020, pp. 311-320.
Ferhi, Samir, and Sabrina Zerar. James Joyce and Critical Resistance in Dubliners: A Postcolonial Perspective. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, vol. 12, no. 1, 2019, pp. 267-285.
Fuchs, Dieter. James Joyces The Dead and Macrobiuss Saturnalia: The Menippean Encyclopedic Tradition and the Mythical Method. James Joyce Quarterly, vol. 57, no. 3, 2020, pp. 275-292.
Gaeini, Mojgan, et al. The Role of Social Identity in James Joyces Dubliners within the Light of Cultural Materialism. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute (BIRCI-Journal): Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 2, no. 2, 2019, pp. 89-99.
Heininge, Kathleen. The Way Out of Paralysis: Joyce and the Habitual Present Tense. James Joyce Quarterly, vol. 57, no. 3, 2020, pp. 263-273.
Jok, Laura. Sounds and Impostures: James Joyces Poetic Prose. James Joyce Quarterly, vol. 56, no. 3, 2019, pp. 311-332.
Maniee, Pedram, and Shahriyar Mansouri. A Post-Colonial Study of the Short Story Araby (1914) by James Joyce. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, vol. 8, no. 2, 2017, pp. 201-208.
Roos, Bonnie. Spies in Joyces The Sisters : Allegorical Histories, the Irish Rebellion, and The Count of Monte Cristo. Joyce Studies Annual, vol. 2018, no. 1, 2018, pp. 195-233.
Kabuo and I were picking strawberries when someones shadow unexpectedly appeared over me. I abruptly looked up and saw there was a white man standing in front of me. I recognized his face for in such a small town, you would eventually get to identify everyones face. The man took out his police badge and told me Kabuo was accused of killing a man named Carl, and that they were to take him away down to the police station.
Carl& Yes, Carl Heine. I knew him since childhood. We used to go to the same high school and I knew Kabuo talked about buying his land soon. I faintly remember the mindless days when I was unaware of disapproving looks of society when I could easily ignore the hesitation of being together with a white boy when I believed everything would turn out to be alright. The officer arranged for a meeting with me in order to interrogate him about everything I could tell him about the case. As the date and time of my visit were announced, I started thinking about everything that occurred.
The very first and the strangest thing to me was the very fact that Kabuo was suspected of killing a man, and this man was not just a mere man. He was a well-respected person locally, the man of dignity and honor. Why would Kabuo kill him? Why would Kabuo kill just any person? Kabuo is the most peaceful and inoffensive man in our community. Of course, people do not actually love him as he is Japanese American, and after all those events during World War II Japanese people are treated poorly here, but still why Kabuo? Could that be possible that people suspect him out of their nationalistic hatred? All of these thoughts just leave me confused and bereaved of my peace of mind.
And even the weather supports my gloomy thoughts as it is snowing terribly, and actually, it even seems that storm is going to begin. Probably the nature itself is against this terrible arbitrariness conditioned by nationalistic moods. Knowing Kabuo as a nice and polite person of a mild temper, the person who is not even able to harm anyone I am sure this accusation of murdering is a terrible mistake, and how eloquent t is that even nature is against this awful accident. I only wish Kabuo could be approved as soon as possible.
The Essay
The novel Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson is an excellent piece of literature enabling us to examine the way symbolism may be applied in order to reveal the most appealing ideas and address the most complicated issues of human life. In the following paper, the symbolism of snow along with the other types of weather which occur on the fictional San Piedro Island during the trial and the other events addressed in the book will be discussed in terms of their importance for revealing the themes related by the author in the novel.
Generally, such themes as prejudice, legalism, national hatred, failed love, and lying are related in the novel, and even the very title of the novel featuring the word snow or something cold and unpleasant at times highlights the ideas of illegal practices described in it along with the need to strive for justice and truth.
Guterson resorts to the use of the symbols based on weather types as a very successful strategy in this novel, and this technique can be evaluated as his successful carte de visite. Snow is a well-known allusion to something cold and gloomy which represents the mood depicted in the novel initially. In addition, snow in the novel does not happen to be usual, but it appears to be a storm. The storm is something that can be hardly controlled. The idea about the uncontrollability of the events taking place in the novel is emphasized by the symbol of the snowstorm. The case discussed by the jury in the court shows a great measure of uncontrollability with its every injustice and prejudice.
All of these prejudiced ideas cause an uncontrollable burst of unrighteousness and dishonesty in the court. The author shows all the badness of the occurring things by means of the use of the symbol of weather: initially, the weather is very bad with its severe snowstorm, strong wind, and gloominess; eventually, as justice begins to through its warming light on the events taking place in the court the weather is getting better.
In conclusion, the novel Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson can be evaluated as a meaningful piece of literature addressing a row of important social issues including prejudice, false accusation, national hatred, the consequences of wars for human society, and the relationships within it. Guterson applies the symbol of snow and the other types of weather as a means to show the main changes of mood and general developments in the story plot. Through such symbolism, the author is able to get ones audience involved in a serious meditation on the themes of legalism, guilt, national hatred, failed love, and lying along with public opinion about these crucial issues.