Symbolism in Literature

We are all surrounded by symbols: hearts representing love on Valentine's Day, the American flag is our symbol for patriotism and our united country, and a pencil and paper might symbolize writing and expression. Literature is no different. Eighth grade students recently completed symbolism projects by thinking about objects in their books that had symbolic meaning to the characters or the plot of the story. It was very interesting to "see beyond" the obvious and explore what hidden meanings an object, song, or person might hold.