Hawthorne: Allegory, Symbolism, Setting, & Theme

Young Goodman Brown

A study on

Allegory-Symbolism-Setting-Theme

Allegory and Symbolism

By Nakiya Beaman

Multiple Choice

An allegory is...

• ...a story that represents something beyond itself.

• ...when the characters or story represent historical events.

• ...represent abstract or moral ideas.

• ...All of the above.

Multiple Choice

Allegory must include

• symbolism

• irony

• allusion

• hyperbole

Multiple Choice

An allegory is a story in which:

• Characters, setting and actions stand for something beyond their literal meaning

• a story in which characters, settings, and symbols have new definitions

• a story in which characters, settings, and symbols have magical powers

• a story in which characters, settings, and symbols know one another

Symbolism

Symbolism

• a symbol is when something is used to represent something else

• symbols can be used to represent something other than the object itself, abstract concepts, and multiple layers of meaning

• authors use symbolism to convey deeper meaning about a subject or topic

Multiple Choice

What is a symbol?

• a sign

• something representing something else

• an object

• characters in a story

Multiple Choice

Symbols represent...

• ...abstract concepts.

• ...layers of meaning.

• ...something other than the object itself.

• ...All of the above.

Multiple Choice

Why does an author use symbolism in their literary piece?

• To convey deeper meanings about a topic or subject

• To show the importance of symbols

Multiple Choice

The writer describes a person in a jail yard intently watching a bird fly overhead. What might the bird be symbolizing?

• freedom

• knowledge

• the chosen one

• birth

Multiple Choice

After struggling to escape a hard life, a character is described as twirling around on a spring day surrounded by newly budding trees and blooming flowers. What might this passage symbolize?

• sadness that the new season has started

• excitement to hear the birds chirping

• optimism that life is restarting; representing a new birth

• disappointment that summer is so close

Multiple Choice

_{Ana had spent an unhappy night of tossing and turning. Yesterday, the wrong move had caused her to lose the volleyball match. As she sat up in bed the next morning, she could see the sun just peeking over the bushes in her back yard. As the sun rose higher and shined more brightly, Ana felt her spirits lifting. Feeling her confidence return, Ana thought to herself, I know I can work harder, and I'll make the team forget yesterday ever happened.}

In this passage, the rising sun symbolizes—

• Ana's house

• volleyball

• a second chance

• a sleepless night

Setting

When and where the story takes place

Multiple Choice

What is setting?

• The way a character is.

• The when and where of the story.

Multiple Select

Check which elements are apart of setting.

• Location

• Time of the day

• Weather

• Character Traits

• Season

Multiple Choice

The setting can affect the mood in a story.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Which of the following could be a possible setting in a story?

• The princess and the frog.

• Love is stronger than fear.

• Ran as fast as he could.

• A winter night in 1956.

Multiple Choice

1. Read the following passage from Alice in Wonderland:

Once in the wood, she was anxious to get back to her right size again, and then to get into that lovely garden. But how? Peeping over a mushroom, she beheld a large blue caterpillar sitting on the top with its arms folded...

Which detail from the text provides a clue to the place where this passage takes place?

• Once in the wood...

• A large blue caterpillar sitting...

Theme

A theme is the big idea in a story. It's the message about people or the world that the author is trying to get across. Themes are universal, which means they are true in all times and all places. They apply to many different types of people.

Multiple Choice

Which statement below BEST defines a theme used in literature?

• The ideas about life the author wants to express.

• The overall feeling of the work.

• Where and when a story takes place.

• An idea that keeps coming up throughout the story.

• Supporting details in an argument.

Make notes on the following information

​

1. ​The theme is the central idea of the story.

2. It is better if it is a full statement with a subject and a verb.

3. It sums up what the story shows us about the human condition. It is not a moral. It is simply a statement.

What is a theme?

What is a theme?

Fill in the Blank

Complete the following by supplying the missing word(s).

A theme is the _____ _____ of a story.

Fill in the Blank

Complete the following by supplying the missing word(s).

It is better if it is a full _____ with a subject and a verb.

Fill in the Blank

Complete the following by supplying the missing word(s).

It sums up what the story shows us about the human _____.

1. What is the story about? In other words, what is the plot?

2. What is the meaning behind the story?​ This usually revolves around the protagonist's conflict and his or her actions or reactions.

3. ​What is the lesson?

Make notes on the following:

To Find a Theme Ask 3 Questions

​

Match

What is the three-step process for determining a theme?

• Step 1

• Step 2

• Step 3

Ask, what is the story about?

Ask, what is the meaning behind the story?

Ask, what is the lesson?

• Ask, what is the story about?

• Ask, what is the meaning behind the story?

• Ask, what is the lesson?

Multiple Choice

The message or lesson that the author wants you to learn from the story is...

• thesis

• theme

• summary

• plot

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of theme?

• Snow White was thoughtful and kind.

• Juan risked his life to save his brother's.

• Happiness

• Don't judge people by outward appearances.

Multiple Choice

A story can have more than one theme.

• True

• False