Free Essays on Symbolism

A symbol is when an object is used to represent something abstract. In stories, symbolism plays a large role in expressing the author’s true meaning and emotions. It is a tool that enables the writer to give a completely different meaning to the story they are writing. The author Franz Kafka uses a fair amount of symbolism in his writing in order to help him in the telling of the story and to make the reader think. This is evident in his writing’s of â€Å"The Metamorphosis† and â€Å"A Country Doctor†. In â€Å"The Metamorphosis† Kafka is attempting to express the fact that some people waste their lives and in a way live their lives as a bug would. Gregor Samsa (the main character) is an extremely hard working man who hates his job yet he never misses a day. His job consists of him traveling around and selling cloth, his life is extremely inconsistent and lonely like a bug. This is evident when Gregor says, â€Å"†¦the trouble of constant traveling, of worrying about train connections, the bed and irregular meals, casual acquaintances that are always new and never become intimate friends. The devil take it all!† (Kafka 581) The six legs that he has may be a symbol of all the traveling and moving around that he has to do. The family along with Gregor has the same routine day in and day out, which shows that they aren’t really living their lives to the full extent in which they should. This is why Kafka turns him into a bug in the beginning of the story. Gr egor’s family depends solely on him because his father has lost his memory, his mother has asthma, and his sister is too young to work. His family doesn’t seem to appreciate what Gregor does for them this becomes obvious when the clerk chief comes to the house to see why Gregor isn’t working. When the clerk chief gets Gregor to open his bedroom door the family is in shock to see that nothing is wrong with Gregor and he is simply late for work. This shock represents his fami... Free Essays on Symbolism Free Essays on Symbolism A symbol is when an object is used to represent something abstract. In stories, symbolism plays a large role in expressing the author’s true meaning and emotions. It is a tool that enables the writer to give a completely different meaning to the story they are writing. The author Franz Kafka uses a fair amount of symbolism in his writing in order to help him in the telling of the story and to make the reader think. This is evident in his writing’s of â€Å"The Metamorphosis† and â€Å"A Country Doctor†. In â€Å"The Metamorphosis† Kafka is attempting to express the fact that some people waste their lives and in a way live their lives as a bug would. Gregor Samsa (the main character) is an extremely hard working man who hates his job yet he never misses a day. His job consists of him traveling around and selling cloth, his life is extremely inconsistent and lonely like a bug. This is evident when Gregor says, â€Å"†¦the trouble of constant traveling, of worrying about train connections, the bed and irregular meals, casual acquaintances that are always new and never become intimate friends. The devil take it all!† (Kafka 581) The six legs that he has may be a symbol of all the traveling and moving around that he has to do. The family along with Gregor has the same routine day in and day out, which shows that they aren’t really living their lives to the full extent in which they should. This is why Kafka turns him into a bug in the beginning of the story. Gr egor’s family depends solely on him because his father has lost his memory, his mother has asthma, and his sister is too young to work. His family doesn’t seem to appreciate what Gregor does for them this becomes obvious when the clerk chief comes to the house to see why Gregor isn’t working. When the clerk chief gets Gregor to open his bedroom door the family is in shock to see that nothing is wrong with Gregor and he is simply late for work. This shock represents his fami... Free Essays on Symbolism Symbolism in the Word of God While the cross, water, bread, and wine are symbols at the center of the Christian faith and practice, they are not the only symbols mentioned in the Bible. The Word of God is loaded with symbolism; in fact, many of the events of the Old Testament often foreshadow events which occur in the New Testament. For example, the sacrificial lamb in the Old Testament points to the sacrificial death of Christ (see Passover). Jesus even used symbolic language in talking about Himself and His relationship to persons. He referred to himself as the Living Water, the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, and the Door. When Christ sets up His millennial kingdom here on earth (Revelation 20:4-9), He will replace the symbolic precursors of the Old Covenant: the bronze laver, the table of shewbread, and the golden lampstand, for He is the New Testament fulfillment of the Old Covenant. Jesus is the Living Water, the Bread of Life, and the Light of the World; He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. We no longer have to sacrifice lambs and rams to atone for our sins, for Christ became our Passover Lamb. It is by His flesh (the veil of the temple) that we are able to enter into the Holy of Holies and commune with our High Priest - Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:20-21). Hallelujah! Jesus also used symbolism when He spoke in parables. A parable is a brief tale illustrating a moral principle. His 39 recorded parables (stories) connected with the real world of agriculture (sowing, harvesting, growing), the food industry (baking, fishing), real estate (land purchasing, home ownership), and retailing (the sale of pearls). His images and language helped bring His message alive to the common people. It showed clearly that God takes an interest in the workplace and desires people to serve Him in the secular arena. The advantage of stories like these is that they impress the listener with a viv...