You might wonder why an author chooses to use symbols in a book or story. The use of symbols is a way to convey complex concepts with very few words. Each symbol has many meanings, depending on who you are. Good symbolism allows a story or novel to be understood and read in two different styles. First, you can read and understand the story in its literal form. The second approach involves understanding and recognizing the symbols used.
The short story of Ray Bradbury “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh”, which is about a boy who plays the drums, has a lot of symbolism. This pile of sticks & leaves made by the General is a symbol. It may not seem much, yet it could represent the general’s army and his war. The general could be building an army by building this pile. The sticks and leaves could represent the lives of soldiers, with some lasting longer than others in war. As sticks burn longer than leaves.
Joby’s count of the men asleep on the floor is another example of symbolism. Joby’s inability to count further (in lines 14-19), could represent the number of people who died during the Battle of Shiloh.
Ray Bradbury’s story also uses repeated symbolism. Repeated Symbolism occurs when the same symbol appears repeatedly. They appear in the story many times, and every time, something changes. Joby was sleeping when the peach flower fell and woke him up. Joby regrets his decision to run away and join the army as another blossom falls. Joby gets the general’s notice when he is crying. Joby is helped by the general to deal with war. As Joby fell asleep, another bloom dropped.
Symbolism can be a powerful tool to help the author convey meaning. When done correctly, symbolism adds more power and impact to a story. The writer is able to see the story in a new light with symbolism. The reader can also form an opinion about the symbolism, which makes the work more universal.
