Transcript Symbolism & *A Rose for Emily*

September 17 th , 2013
 A symbol is an image, object, or person that represents
something more than itself.
 Things, people, and actions can be symbols.
 Symbolism refers to the use of meaningful symbols in
literature and art.
 An object is symbolic if it holds meaning beyond its literal
meaning.
 The meaning of a symbol often changes in different
contexts.
 Denotation refers to the literal meaning of a word,
void of any emotional associations.
 Connotation refers to the emotional implications that
accompany a word, separate from its literal meaning.
 When you view the following symbols, try to describe
their literal meaning (denotation) AND their
emotional implications (connotation).
 Think of a symbol that holds meaning for you. It can
be anything – the mascot of a sports team (a raven for
the Baltimore Ravens), a religious symbol (the cross
for Christianity), a political symbol (the elephant for
the Republican party), or a universal symbol (a dove
for peace).
 What is the difference between the denotation and
connotation of that symbol? Why do you think that
symbol has become representative of its associated
meaning?
William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily” tells
the story of a woman who is a relic of a vanishing era.
While we read, I want you to consider exactly what she
and other characters could represent symbolically.
The story is set in the Antebellum period in the
Southern United States (right after the Civil War).
The main character, Emily Grierson, is part of a oncewealthy family who has fallen on hard times after the
Civil War (1861-1865).
The story probably takes place in a predominately white
Southern neighborhood in the 1870s-1880s.
The story has some challenging words, and it also has
some extremely offensive words. While reading, if you
are not comfortable saying these words, you DO NOT
have to say them.
Racism is a fairly important issue in the story, and the
offensive words in the story are meant to highlight how
racist and discriminatory the culture was in this place
and in this time period.