When you’re looking for a chapter’s golden keys, you may stumble upon a symbol—an especially meaningful detail. To understand what a symbol is, imagine an important scene in a movie. Suppose one of the characters is staring out a car window at a gloomy sky. Maybe she traces the path of a raindrop as it clings to the glass, then slides down.
Question
What do you think the scene might symbolize?
Rainy weather isn’t the only regularly used symbol in movies—or in other forms of art and literature. What does each object or scene below symbolize? When you think you know, click the image to compare your ideas to ours.
To create its effect, symbolism does not require that a reader know a great deal about the specific situation that is described in a story. Instead, the author uses one or more commonly understood symbols to make the event seem more meaningful. Look back at how Mildred Taylor, the author of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, describes Mr. Morrison in Chapter 2.
Question
According to this description, what does Mr. Morrison’s arrival at the Logan home symbolize?
