Symbolism in Context and Writing

In the movie "Snow White," the witch tries to sell Snow White an apple and says, "One bite and all your dreams will come true." In this story, the apple most likely symbolizes...

• Love

• War

• Temptation

• Peace

In this picture a student is giving an apple to a teacher. What does the apple symbolize in this photo?

• Gratitude

• Hate

• Apples

• Good luck

What is the difference in the symbol of the apple between the "Snow White" image and the teacher / student image?

• The meaning of the apple stayed the same. It was still a symbol.

• The meaning of the apple changed because the context stayed the same in both pictures.

• The meaning of the apple changed because the context of how it was used changed. In Snow White it was negative, in the teacher / student image it was positive.

• The meaning of the apple changed because for Snow White it was positive and for the teacher / student image, it was negative

The protagonist of a story is bored at school. She looks out the window and longingly watches a bird fly through the sky. What does the bird most likely symbolize?

• freedom

• knowledge

• danger

• re-birth

The protagonist in a story walks carefully through a dark room. What could the darkness in the setting symbolize?

• it's nighttime

• it's a party

• mystery/the unknown

• anger

After struggling through a hard life, in the last chapter of a story the protagonist is twirling around on a spring day surrounded by newly budding trees and blooming flowers. This description of the setting most likely symbolizes...

• sadness

• royalty

• a new beginning

• a wealthy future

Ana spent an unhappy night tossing and turning on her bed. The day before, a misstep 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...

• it's morning

• volleyball

• a second chance

• a sleepless night

One hot summer day, a weary fox ran down a dusty road, desperate for food and drink. He had traveled for miles without finding so much as a berry to nibble or a puddle of water to sip from.

Suddenly, a beautiful smell filled the air. The fox sniffed and sniffed, his mouth watering in anticipation. Then he looked up. Several feet above him was a vine full of juicy grapes.

The fox jumped up, but he could not reach them. Then he backed up, took a running start, and leaped as high as he could. Still, the grapes remained out of reach. Again and again, he tried, with no success.

Finally, exhausted from his efforts, the fox gave up and went on his way. "Oh, well," he said, "I could tell those grapes were sour anyway..."

In this passage, the grapes symbolize...

• something that a person wants but can't have

• a desire to be happy and independent

• a delicious, satisfying meal

• a decision that is difficult to make

After a big fight with her parents, Mirah decided to run away from home. She put some essentials in her backpack and then ran and ran, until she was so far from town that she found herself in the desert. As she stopped to rest and sip from her water bottle, Mirah realized she had forgotten to say goodbye to her two best friends and her pet puppy. All the way out here, she wouldn't be able to rant to anyone about her annoying family. Mirah sat down and noticed the sand dunes extending far into the horizon in every direction. She sighed, curled up into a ball, and cried.

What does the desert symbolize in this story?

• courage and strength

• isolation and loneliness

• adventure

• sadness

Sonia woke up with a smile on her face because she knew it would be a special day. Today was the day of the big ceremony: it was her 16th birthday, which meant her mother would give her the silver spoon that had been passed down in her family for generations. She quickly put on the dress she had picked out the night before and ran down the stairs. "I'm ready!" she declared.

Which of the following is a symbol in this story?

• Sonia's dress

• the silver spoon

• Sonia's mother

• the stairs