Symbol Use Within Two Short Stories Essay

, Research Paper

Symbol Use Within Two Short Narratives

The writers, Shirley Jackson and Nathaniel Hawthorne, both often use symbols within their narratives & # 8220 ; The Lottery & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; Young Goodman Brown. & # 8221 ; Symbols are utilized as an enhancement tool to emphasize the subject of each narrative. Hawthorne utilizations names and objects to heighten the subject, and Jackson chiefly utilizes names to emphasize the subject, although she does hold one object as a symbol of great importance to the subject. The narratives both contain symbols depicting immorality. The bulk of Hawthorne s symbols describe faith ( both good and evil ) , but Jackson s symbols reflect the evil nature within society as a whole. There exists symbolic Acts of the Apostless in each narrative. The short narratives both portion the usage of symbols, but the symbols are used to show different ideas in 1s mind while reading them.

The narratives & # 8220 ; Young Goodman Brown & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; The Lottery & # 8221 ; both use names as symbols.

Hawthorne uses the names Young Goodman Brown and Faith to portray nice, descent people. The name Faith entirely implies a faithful and Christian person as stated & # 8220 ; And Faith, as the married woman was competently named, & # 8221 ; ( 211 ) . Jackson uses the name Mr. Graves throughout her narrative, he is the coordinator of the lottery. She needs non give any account to the name, as it speaks for itself ( a symbol of decease ) . Assorted other names are used as symbols within each narrative, nevertheless, these mentioned are the most important names to the subject. The narratives each contain names, objects, and acts every bit of import symbols.

Hawthorne uses the names to emphasize good people, but relies to a great extent on objects to portray Satanism. The object of obvious Satanism is the staff ( a cane ) mentioned throughout the narrative. It is clearly identified when the old traveller throws it down in the sentence & # 8220 ; it assumed life, being one of the rods which its proprietor had once lent to the Egyptian Magi & # 8221 ; ( 215 ) . Harmonizing to the Bible. magicians with charming powers change their rods into snakes. Jackson uses the black box throughout her narrative as a symbol of tradition non to be changed as stat

ed “Every twelvemonth, after the lottery, Mr. Summers began speaking about a new box, but every twelvemonth the topic was allowed to melt off without anything s being done” ( 249 ) . The fact it is an old black wore out box puts evil ideas in 1s mind while reading the narrative. The symbolic objects in each narrative differ, Hawthorne s are to demo Satanism, instead than the evil in people as Jackson s shows.

The narratives each contain symbolic Acts of the Apostless. The devil s remarks during his discourse such as & # 8220 ; Evil is the nature of world. Evil must be your lone felicity & # 8221 ; ( 220 ) is a clear symbolic act of Satanism, although Satanism is ne’er mentioned by the writer. Jackson uses symbolic Acts of the Apostless to emphasize the immorality in world. An illustration is Mrs. Delacroix, a friend of Tessie s, chooses a big stone to throw & # 8220 ; Mrs. Delacroix selected a rock so big she had to pick it up with both custodies & # 8221 ; ( 254 ) . Additionally evil in people is clearly proven in the statement & # 8220 ; The kids had rocks already, and person gave small Davey Hutchinson a few pebbles & # 8221 ; ( 254 ) . One finds it non merely hard to believe the kids would take part, but her boy take parting in his ain female parent s decease excessively, makes this an unbelievable symbolic act of evil. Symbolic Acts of the Apostless play a major function to the subject of each narrative although they are used to show different significances.

The two short narratives, & # 8220 ; Young Goodman Brown and & # 8220 ; The Lottery & # 8221 ; , are really similar sing the importance of symbols to each. The significance of the symbols, whether names, objects, or Acts of the Apostless, are different. Symbols are of import in each narrative to specify the subject. Close observation of the symbols within each narrative proves to one their importance.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. & # 8220 ; Young Goodman Brown & # 8221 ;

Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana

Gioia. 6th erectile dysfunction. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. 211-220

Jackson, Shirley. & # 8220 ; The Lottery & # 8221 ;

Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana

Gioia 6th erectile dysfunction. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. 248-254