Symbolism and Theme

What is a symbol?

• a sign

• something that stands for itself AND something else - has deeper meaning

• an object

• characters in a story

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What does a heart typically symbolize?

• fear

• time

• love

• hunder

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True or False: Symbols can only have one meaning.

• True

• False

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What might a "storm" symbolize?

• A difficult time

• Thunder and lightning

• A party

• Cold weather

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Which of the following symbols may represent a broken relationship?

• A Siberian Tiger

• Shattered glass

• Fire

• Stars

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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

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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

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What is a theme?

• a topic of a passage

• A universal truth, moral, or idea the author wants to express.

• the main idea of the selection

• a summary that includes the major plot points

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A theme should be a statement, not just one word. 

• TRUE
• FALSE

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One way you could figure out the theme is to...

• Skim through the story
• Just read the beginning of the story
• Think about what the character has learned
• Read the ending of the story

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