Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Symbols
Authors often use symbols in their stories. A symbol can be a person, place, or an object that stands for something else. The symbol takes on a deeper meaning, or layers of meanings, than the obvious one. For example, a sword may be a sword, but it can symbolize justice or another abstract idea. The sword in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was described as "a great silver cross," which made it a symbol of Christianity in the overall plot of good vs. evil.
Some symbols generally mean the same thing to all readers. These are universal symbols. Water is a symbolic cleanser, washing us clean of all our sins. Light symbolizes knowledge and goodness. A skull symbolizes death. A dove stands for peace. A dove can be seen while peace cannot.
Constructed symbols are given symbolic meaning by the way an author uses them in a story. In the book Moby Dick, the white whale came to symbolize evil.
