The life of a person can be divided into seasons. Spring represents early childhood, a time of growth. Summer represents childhood and adolescence, an exciting and carefree time. Just as summer becomes autumn, an adolescent becomes an adult. Autumn represents the younger adult years. The winter season brings cold weather; this causes many plants to die. A person's declining years and eventual death can be viewed as the winter season of their life. Sometimes writers will use a season to symbolize a time in the life of the protagonist in their story. This writers" tool is wielded nicely by David Updike and Alice Walker. These authors use the summer season to portray the youth of the protagonists in their writings. This use of symbolism also helps give the reader a better understanding of the story's meaning. .
It is evident that season is an important part of David Updike's "Summer." However, the reader must pay close attention to details in order to grasp the symbolism and meaning of this time of year. The protagonist of the story is Homer, a young man spending the summer with his friend, Fred. They are vacationing at the lake with Fred's family which includes his father, mother, and sister Sandra. The story is an account of Homer's struggle with his unfamiliar feelings for Sandra. He realizes that he cares for her, but he is shy and timid when it comes to acting upon these feelings. As stated .
previously, the story takes place in the summer. However, it also takes place in the summer, or adolescence, of Homer's life. .
Updike writes: "It was the first week in August, the time when summer briefly pauses, shifting between its beginning and its end: the light had not yet begun to change, the leaves were still full and green on the trees, the nights still warm" (Updike 316-317). This sentence can be compared to Homer's life. Just as the summer leaves have not reached the maturity required to change colors, Homer does not possess the maturity of an adult.
The black box is taken out during summer only and the rest of the year it is put away in one place or another. ... Another clever use of symbolism is in the characters" names themselves. ... Summers conducts the lottery every summer. ... Summers make up the slips ultimately deciding whose "grave" will be next. ... The author's use of symbolism to portray such irrational and absurd behavior shows nothing but ingenuity of a very brilliant mind....
"Symbolism and Plot" Symbolism and plot are different from each other by definition; however, have a relationship towards each other when writing a story. ... Summers which did many things. ... Summers began talking again about a new box, but every year the subject was allowed to fade off without anything"s being done." ... Summers would have more than likely accepted and backed the motion to cease the lottery and stop the sacrifice. ... Symbolism is important in each story to define the plot. ...
In almost every novel there is a form of symbolism. There are a number of instances where symbolism is used in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. ... Another example of this symbol would be at the end of the story when Gatsby is killed, it was the last day of summer. ... These are just a few examples of the symbolism in The Great Gatsby. ... there are many deeper forms of symbolism in the novel which make the reader think and really analyze F. ...
Shirley Jackson uses symbolism in names, objects and even the setting to obscure the meaning and the purpose of the lottery. ... The name Summers is the sir name of the lottery officiate. His name symbolizes the time the lottery is conducted; summer time on June 27. ... Summer often suggests having a new box made but his suggestion goes unanswered because "no one liked to upset even as much has tradition was represented by the black box " (134). ... In conclusion, Jackson use of symbolism is apparent. ...
The author uses symbolism to make us aware of the pointless nature of traditions and how we become comfortable carrying them out. ... Summers" (233). ... Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box"(233), but they did not want it. ... Summers 2 said soberly, "guess we better get started, get this over with, so's we can go back to work" (235). ...
Summers, who runs the lottery and other civic events. Summer is the season of growing, the season of life. ... Summers" name may symbolize life but instead of awarding life to the winner of the lottery he sentences death. ... Summers to make the lottery official. The symbolism in his name is quite apparent; by bringing the black box he is equivocally digging someone's grave. ...
Symbolism is defined as "The practice of representing things by means of symbols or, of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships."" (dictionary) One of the most obvious factors in Kate Chopin's Novel, The Awakening, is symbolism. ... There are many examples of symbolism used throughout the novel. ... "The hot wind beating in my face made me think "without any connection that I can trace of a summer day in Kentucky, of a meadow that seemed as big as the ocean to the very little girl walking through the grass, which was higher than her wais...