SymbolsA symbol is a word or object that stands for another word or object, that cannot be seen with the eye or felt. For example a dove stands for peace. The dove can be seen and peace cannot. In the story of Adam and Eve when Eve ate the apple, the apple stood for sin. Another reading Cain and Able. The two brothers stood for good and evil, humility and pride. Cain pulled Able to the fields and killed him. In this it is a hidden symbol. It is showing that Cain stands for the bad and Able stands for the good.
ThemeBefore really understanding theme, it is important to know the difference between a topic or subject, and theme. A topic or subject is a single word or short phrase that sums up what a story is about. For example, one subject of Romeo and Juliet is love. A theme of a story, however, is the universal message or statement about life that the reader gets from a story about that subject. So we ask ourselves, what is Shakespeare trying to tell us about love through Romeo and Juliet. A theme isn't specific to the characters or events in the story; rather, the characters and events lead us to discover the theme based on what happens to them and what they learn from it.
|
|