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Symbolism

Total questions: 10

Worksheet time: 12mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Why does an author use symbolism in their literary piece?
a)
To convey deeper meanings about a topic or subject
b)
To show the importance of symbols
2.
Symbols represent...
a)
...abstract concepts.
b)
...layers of meaning.
c)
...something other than the object itself.
d)
...All of the above.
3.

What is a symbol?

a)

a sign

b)

something representing something else

c)

an object

d)

characters in a story

4.

The writer describes a person intently watching a bird fly overhead. What is the bird symbolizing?

a)

freedom

b)

knowledge

c)

the chosen one

d)

birth

5.

After struggling to escape a hard life, the protagonist is described in the last chapter as twirling around on a spring day surrounded by newly budding trees and blooming flowers. What does this resolution symbolize?

a)

sadness that the new season has started

b)

excitement to hear the birds chirping

c)

optimism that life is restarting; representing a new birth

d)

disappointment that summer is so close

6.

What is a universal symbol?

a)

symbols that communicate meanings that only one person understands

b)

symbols that communicate meanings about the universe

c)

symbols that communicate meanings about space

d)

symbols that communicate meanings that large numbers of people understand

7.

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—

a)

Ana's house

b)

volleyball

c)

a second chance

d)

a sleepless night

8.

One hot summer day, a weary fox padded 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 aroma filled the air. The fox sniffed and sniffed, his mouth watering in anticipation. Then he looked up. Several feet above him, trailing along a trellis, 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 and faint from his efforts, the fox gave up and went on his way. "Oh, well," he sneered, "no big loss. I could tell those grapes were sour anyway."


In this passage, the grapes symbolize—

a)

something that a person wants but can't have

b)

a desire to be happy and independent

c)

a delicious, satisfying meal

d)

a decision that is difficult to make

9.
Which of the following is NOT a quality of a symbol?
a)
The story furnishes a clue that a detail is to be taken symbolically.
b)
The meaning of the symbol is supported by the entire story
c)
The meaning of a symbol must suggest more than the representative of a class or type
d)
A symbol can only have one meaning
10.

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

a)

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

b)

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

c)

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.

d)

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