Symbols in Stories

Recognize objects or images that stand for bigger ideas and explain their meaning.

A symbol is a concrete thing in a story, such as an object, place, color, or animal, that also stands for an abstract idea. Authors signal symbols through repetition, emphasis, or a link to a character's feelings. In an original story, a boy named Felix keeps his late father's broken pocket watch. Early on, he winds it every night even though it never runs.

When he finally lets the watch rest in a drawer and joins his friends on a summer trip, the watch has come to represent his grief and his inability to move forward in time. Its stillness mirrors his. To analyze a symbol, first notice what is repeated or treated as important. Then ask what idea it might represent, using the context of the character's feelings. Finally, track whether the symbol changes. A symbol's meaning should be supported by evidence from the story, not guessed from a general list.

• 1A symbol is a concrete thing standing for an abstract idea
• 2Look for repetition, emphasis, and links to feelings
• 3Support the meaning with story evidence