Symbolism, Allusion & Irony
The Bluest Eye Activity: Symbolism, Allusion, and Irony
Objective: Symbolism, allusion, and irony. The triple whammy of literary terms. In fact, these devices can be so imposing that they get in the way of our ability to understand and appreciate literature. Not cool, terms. Not cool.
Because some of our greatest authors litter their works with these elements (thanks, Will and Charlie), you often come away feeling that the text was written in some sort of arcane secret code that you either get or you miss completely. Well, let's try to unlock that code.
Step 1: Take a look at these rock star literary terms. We like to think our definitions are mildly amusing, so hopefully that will help spice up the vocab lesson.
Definition: A symbol is something that represents something else. We know—super helpful, right?
Want more clarity? Okay, how about this: a symbol is a word, an image, or anything that somehow represents a larger idea. In other words, what you see is not just what you get. Symbols are more than meets the eye. They're loaded with meaning.
Example? In America, eagles are a symbol of freedom. In punk rock, the safety pin is a symbol of rebellion. In western literature, the apple is often a symbol for sin. See how that works?
But when talking about symbols, it's also important to remember that the symbol is still itself, in addition to what it symbolizes. So when you see an apple in a book, and immediately think of sin, don't forget that it's also just an apple. And someone's probably going to eat it. Or at least bake it into a pie.
Definition: Let's get down to brass tacks. An allusion is, plain and simple, a reference. You'll find allusions (or shout-outs, as we like to call them) when the book you're reading makes a reference to something outside of itself, whether another work of literature, something from pop culture, a song, myth, history, or even the visual arts.
Why use allusions? Because they connect literature to other pieces of literature (or art or music or history or whatever). Allusions deepen and enrich a work's meaning, and are a form of intertextuality, so they help books talk to each other.
Definition: According to Gen-X heartthrob Ethan Hawke's slacker alter ego Troy Dyer, irony can be defined as "when the actual meaning is the complete opposite from the literal meaning." Okay, okay, so Reality Bites might not be the fount of all wisdom, but you have to admit that he's right when it comes to irony… well, almost.
Irony comes in many forms, most of which do indeed have to do with contradicting actual and literal meanings.
Verbal irony, for example, has to do with the tension between what is said and what is really meant. You've probably used this more than a little in your own life, like when you say, "I'm fine," when really you mean just the opposite. Liar.
Situational irony, on the other hand, plays with the difference between expectations and reality. Rather than explain this one, let's read a little story:
Remember the Archduke of Austria Franz Ferdinand? No? Well he's the guy who got shot and then World War I happened. Yep. Moving right along.
He and his wife were touring Sarajevo when a group of assassins tried to bomb his cavalcade. The bomb bounced off and rolled under another car, but Ferdinand freaked and insisted they deviate from their planned route. Because of this change, his driver got lost, and they wound up right outside a deli where the final assassin, after learning about the unsuccessful plot, went to drown his sorrows at the bottom of a sandwich. The assassin stepped out of the deli, saw the car, and killed Ferdinand with the "shot heard 'round the world." Well, one of them, anyway.
Did you catch the irony? Ferdinand flipped out because of the bomb scare, but the assassins gave up after it failed. If ol' Ferdo had just stayed the course, he never would have ended up outside that deli within pistol-range of Gavrilo Princip, the mopey assassin who hit a major streak of luck. Yep, that's situational irony.
Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something—usually a lot of things—that the characters don't. Remember You've Got Mail? Wake up, Meg Ryan: Tom Hanks is that very same dude you've been chatting it up with online, and he doesn't look like a Clark bar. To be fair, he doesn't look like Clark Gable, either. Sorry, Tom.
Irony can be funny, but it's not, by any means, the same thing as comedy or satire. It often gets used for comedic effect, but some irony is downright tragic (like the fact that Meg Ryan doesn't know she's looking her true love right in the eye).
Famous ironists include Jonathan Swift, Jane Austen, and Stephen Colbert, but it's used all over the place in literature, movies, television, and just about everywhere in between.
Step 2: When it comes down to it, symbolism is just the strategy of using one thing to represent another. And guess what, you do that all the time.
Yep, it's emoticon time.
Check out a few emoticons and share what they mean in your world. Think about these questions as you go:
(1) What does the smiley represent? Is the meaning literal or inferred?
(2) How is a particular smiley a universal symbol? What are some other examples of universal symbols?
(3) What is the difference between universal and cultural symbols? Are there emoticon examples of these?
(4) How does the emoticon change in meaning based on the conversation or situation?
(5) Can an emoticon be ironic? How?
(6) Can an emoticon be an allusion? (We're looking at you, John Lennon //0-0\\)
Step 3: Find one example of Irony, Symbolism, and Allusion in the bluest eye. Be specific and provide evidence as to why each of your examples correctly illustrates the respective literary term.
Objective: Symbolism, allusion, and irony. The triple whammy of literary terms. In fact, these devices can be so imposing that they get in the way of our ability to understand and appreciate literature. Not cool, terms. Not cool.
Because some of our greatest authors litter their works with these elements (thanks, Will and Charlie), you often come away feeling that the text was written in some sort of arcane secret code that you either get or you miss completely. Well, let's try to unlock that code.
Step 1: Take a look at these rock star literary terms. We like to think our definitions are mildly amusing, so hopefully that will help spice up the vocab lesson.
Definition: A symbol is something that represents something else. We know—super helpful, right?
Want more clarity? Okay, how about this: a symbol is a word, an image, or anything that somehow represents a larger idea. In other words, what you see is not just what you get. Symbols are more than meets the eye. They're loaded with meaning.
Example? In America, eagles are a symbol of freedom. In punk rock, the safety pin is a symbol of rebellion. In western literature, the apple is often a symbol for sin. See how that works?
But when talking about symbols, it's also important to remember that the symbol is still itself, in addition to what it symbolizes. So when you see an apple in a book, and immediately think of sin, don't forget that it's also just an apple. And someone's probably going to eat it. Or at least bake it into a pie.
Definition: Let's get down to brass tacks. An allusion is, plain and simple, a reference. You'll find allusions (or shout-outs, as we like to call them) when the book you're reading makes a reference to something outside of itself, whether another work of literature, something from pop culture, a song, myth, history, or even the visual arts.
Why use allusions? Because they connect literature to other pieces of literature (or art or music or history or whatever). Allusions deepen and enrich a work's meaning, and are a form of intertextuality, so they help books talk to each other.
Definition: According to Gen-X heartthrob Ethan Hawke's slacker alter ego Troy Dyer, irony can be defined as "when the actual meaning is the complete opposite from the literal meaning." Okay, okay, so Reality Bites might not be the fount of all wisdom, but you have to admit that he's right when it comes to irony… well, almost.
Irony comes in many forms, most of which do indeed have to do with contradicting actual and literal meanings.
Verbal irony, for example, has to do with the tension between what is said and what is really meant. You've probably used this more than a little in your own life, like when you say, "I'm fine," when really you mean just the opposite. Liar.
Situational irony, on the other hand, plays with the difference between expectations and reality. Rather than explain this one, let's read a little story:
Remember the Archduke of Austria Franz Ferdinand? No? Well he's the guy who got shot and then World War I happened. Yep. Moving right along.
He and his wife were touring Sarajevo when a group of assassins tried to bomb his cavalcade. The bomb bounced off and rolled under another car, but Ferdinand freaked and insisted they deviate from their planned route. Because of this change, his driver got lost, and they wound up right outside a deli where the final assassin, after learning about the unsuccessful plot, went to drown his sorrows at the bottom of a sandwich. The assassin stepped out of the deli, saw the car, and killed Ferdinand with the "shot heard 'round the world." Well, one of them, anyway.
Did you catch the irony? Ferdinand flipped out because of the bomb scare, but the assassins gave up after it failed. If ol' Ferdo had just stayed the course, he never would have ended up outside that deli within pistol-range of Gavrilo Princip, the mopey assassin who hit a major streak of luck. Yep, that's situational irony.
Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something—usually a lot of things—that the characters don't. Remember You've Got Mail? Wake up, Meg Ryan: Tom Hanks is that very same dude you've been chatting it up with online, and he doesn't look like a Clark bar. To be fair, he doesn't look like Clark Gable, either. Sorry, Tom.
Irony can be funny, but it's not, by any means, the same thing as comedy or satire. It often gets used for comedic effect, but some irony is downright tragic (like the fact that Meg Ryan doesn't know she's looking her true love right in the eye).
Famous ironists include Jonathan Swift, Jane Austen, and Stephen Colbert, but it's used all over the place in literature, movies, television, and just about everywhere in between.
Step 2: When it comes down to it, symbolism is just the strategy of using one thing to represent another. And guess what, you do that all the time.
Yep, it's emoticon time.
Check out a few emoticons and share what they mean in your world. Think about these questions as you go:
(1) What does the smiley represent? Is the meaning literal or inferred?
(2) How is a particular smiley a universal symbol? What are some other examples of universal symbols?
(3) What is the difference between universal and cultural symbols? Are there emoticon examples of these?
(4) How does the emoticon change in meaning based on the conversation or situation?
(5) Can an emoticon be ironic? How?
(6) Can an emoticon be an allusion? (We're looking at you, John Lennon //0-0\\)
Step 3: Find one example of Irony, Symbolism, and Allusion in the bluest eye. Be specific and provide evidence as to why each of your examples correctly illustrates the respective literary term.