Slumdog Millionaire – Symbolism

1) What are some of the abstract ideas in your novel? What symbols are used to convey these abstract ideas?

Two of the symbols in this book are: Money, and A Jeep With Flashing Lights. Some of the astract ideas that convey Money are: Death, Trust, No Trust, Theft, Survival, Wealth, Home, Power, and Food. Some abstract ideas that convey A Jeep With Flashing Lights are: Scared, Going to Jail, Police, Worry, Fear, Death, Power, Murder, Remebering the Past, and, Theft.

2) Why do you think the author chose to use these symbols? Were they effective? If not, suggest other symbols that may have been more suitable.

I think he chose these objects because every one knows what money is and it is easy to relate it to power, wealth, and multiple other ideas. It is also  very easy to remember that a jeep with flashing lights represents the Police, or fear because people fear going to jail and posibly being hung for what they have posibly done in their past. I think that these symbols are very efective and that the author was right in choosing these symbols to represent the ideas he wanted them to.

The Kite Runner- Day 4

1) Some of the most important abstract ideas in the novel The Kite Runner are regret/remorse, friendship, forgiveness, loyalty, pride/honour and secrecy. The symbols used to convey these abstract ideas are the blue kite (pride/honour), Amir’s nephew (forgiveness, regret amd remorse), the pomegranate tree (friednship) and Hassan’s Shack (loyalty, secrecy). In the case of Hassan’s shack, the secrecy behind it is that of the family and the conflicts between the servants and owner of the house. Hassan is also Amir’s father’s son, and Amir’s half brother. When it comes to the ‘theft’ and Hassan and his father choose to leave, the loyalty of Hassan’s father towards his friend, Amir’s father, does not allow him to stay. He also feels he needs to protect Amir’s father’ honour, and makes the difficult decision to leave. Later in Amir’s life, after he framed Hassan for the theft, he feels remorse and regret for the framing, and takes Hassan’s orphan back to America, and uses that to gain closure and forgiveness for Hassan’s death.

2) The author chose to use these symbols because they show a progression of the protagonist as he lets go of the object or accepts the person or moves from the place. He also chose these symbols to have to oppurtunity to let the true Afghanistan show through the actions, words, thoughts and feelings of the protagonist towards the symbols. It shows Afghanistan both before and after the war. They were very effective, and helped me as the reader to understand more about Afghanistan before the war than I ever had.

Blogging Day 4 [*A*]

Alright, well here we go!

1. What are some abstract ideas presented in your novel? What symbols are used to convey these abstract ideas?

The idea of death itself is pretty abstract, as is the idea of the afterlife. It’s kind of interesting because most people when presented with the idea of death run screaming like a school girl in the opposite direction. ‘The Book Thief’, in spite of this, says “NO.”, and not only decides to work with the idea of death, but make the narrator the grim reaper himself. This adds a really interesting twist to the whole idea, because it’s not often that such a concept is handed to you on the great metaphorical silver platter.

Another interesting concept that is used is a train. When thinking of a train, one might think of new beginnings, maybe leaving an old place, or possibly motion sickness. The abstract train in this case presents all that within about 15 pages. Liesel, our not-so-heroic protagonist, wakes up on this train finding her younger brother lying dead on the seat, gets dragged out of the train and onto the platform WITH her mom, and dead brother while simultaneously being pushed towards the reality of her new parents as she is torn away from her mother and corpse of what used to be her brother as the grim reaper himself takes his soul in front of her (unseen to her eyes of course). Quite a mouthful, isn’t it?

 

2.Why do you think the author chose to use these symbols? Were they effective? If not, suggest other symbols that may have been more suitable. 

Death was an idea presented a lot throughout the holocaust, it only makes sense to make him one of the main characters in the book. He is associated with a lot of things that are relevant to the story.

The train, i’m not too sure about. As mentioned before, it would make sense because of the fact that it presents the thought of leaving a familiar place, and a new beginning. Although i’m not too sure about this symbol in itself, I do find it effective to have used it.

 

 

Day 4 symbolism

Good morning!

This post symbolizes the final blog entry you need to write for your literature circle novel, and the topic is (you guessed it) symbolism!

Yesterday, you discussed several questions regarding the use of symbolism in your novel. Please respond to these questions in a blog entry, using 200-300 words:

1) What are some of the abstract ideas in your novel? What symbols are used to convey these abstract ideas?

Some abstract ideas are Ram’s lucky coin, because it represents a sense of guidance for him. Since he never knew his mother or father, and the person who was closest to being his father (Father Thomas) was murdered. Another abstract idea is the game show that Ram attended. It represents some hope for Ram and a way to get out of his financial problem.

2) Why do you think the author chose to use these symbols? Were they effective? If not, suggest other symbols that may have been more suitable.

I think the author chose these symbols because they are something  you wouldn’t think have significance in the story however they both play vital roles and you realize that they represent something only if you put some thought into it therefore it is also effective.

As always, happy blogging! Don’t forget to save your work as you go. When you finish this entry, double-check that you have finished the other ones to the best of your abilities. I’m going to start marking them this weekend!!!

-Mrs. Best

TATDOAPTI – Day Four- Let’s talk about symbols, baby

1) What are some of the abstract ideas in your novel? What symbols are used to convey these abstract ideas?

Some of the abstract ideas portrayed througout the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian are; freedom, death, education, beliefs, judgement, power, and conflict and inspiration. To convey theses abstract ideas, symbols such as; Reardan High School, Junior himself, his sister Mary, his Grandma, Roger, Rowdy, Indian people and White people. One of the biggest abstract ideas was death, in my opinion, and was symbolized very well. After the death of both Junior’s sister and grandmother, Junior is left feeling empty and rather dead himself. He has to learn to grow emotionally, and move on with his life, because they also inspire him to try his best and prove everyone on the reservation wrong- thus another main (abstract) idea, of inspiration.

2) Why do you think the author chose to use these symbols? Were they effective? If not, suggest other symbols that may have been more suitable.

I think that the use of these symbols in the story was very effective. The author might have used them to make the reader think for themselves, and either agree or disagree with each characters decisions or thoughts. If there was to be another symbol, or abstarct idea in the story, I think it would be loyalty. The death of his dog should have been better emphasized, because Junior was so loyal to him, while in misery- and the idea of Junior’s loyalty to Rowdy- no matter how mad Rowdy could be at him, and how much they ‘hated’ eachother, they both missed eachother, and once again regained friendship.

 

Blogging #4

1) Some of the abstract ideas presented in The Kite Runner are unbelievable, proud, achieved, smart, resourceful, finally, doubted, possible, speed, scars, affection, striving, and more. The symbols used to convey these very ideas are a High School diploma, Amir’s first published book, and obviously a kite. I found that these particular ideas and symbols were the best chosen among the symbolism in this novel for many can imagine or feel the ideas that these symbols represent. In other words they are the best and most effective because they are easier to relate to for these symbols show common ideas that almost anyone has known one way or another in their lifetime.

2) Why I think that the author chose these particular symbols to use is because they are the most relatable to large audience. Since many people know what its like to strive and achieve something like a diploma, published work, and recreation sports. I feel like that was the author hidden purpose behind choosing these symbols to represent those abstract ideas to the readers so that they could connect with the main protagonist, Amir, for something that more people know of. since many people don’t understand the magnitudes of difference between Afghanistan and their place of birth. but many places at least hae information about playful sports, and education. So the idea of using these items was more effective because it was at least more relatable than some other images that people can’t understand like the trees at Afghanistan of pictures of loved ones. Since many potential readers could or couldn’t have those things that many take for granted like love, and the ability to live without war.

Day 4-Symbolism

1) What are some of the abstract ideas in your novel? What symbols are used to convey these abstract ideas?

In “The Book Of Negroes” a heavy amount of symbolism is found in books and reading. Books and reading are symbols because back in the 1700’s, not many black people could read, especially women, and the fact rhat Aminata can read and write better then almost all of the white people that she meets shows that black people were not dumb animals like the white people thought they were in the 1700’s.

 

2) Why do you think the author chose to use these symbols? Were they effective? If not, suggest other symbols that may have been more suitable.

I think the author chose to use books and writing as a symbol because in the 1700’s reading and writing was a huge privalige to learn and to understand. If you knew how to read and write, you could have any job, and that usually meant you were very rich, and very smart. To be very rich, and very smart, you owned many slaves, and the more slaves you owned, the more money you ended up aquirring. So the fact that Aminata could read and write better then most white people could, meant a lot to her people and the white people around her.

 

Day 4 – Symbolism

        Some of the abstract ideas in my novel, The Kite Runner, are sadness, loss, family, memory, hope, poor, beggars, flattened, destroyed, pain, proud, achieve, smart, finally, unbelievable, strong, guilt, loyalty, regret, scars, affection, high, run, jealous, forgiveness, power and secrecy. Symbols used to convey these abstract ideas include, the wedding picture in Amir’s house, the war in Kahul, the pomegranate tree, first book published, kite, kite running, America, diploma, Hassan’s shack and Amir’s nephew.

         I think the author, Khaled Hosseini, chose to use these symbols because they are representative to the key elements in Amir’s life. For example, the wedding picture in Amir’s house. This picture is of his mom and dad, and it shows a memory that is linked to him and his life story.  Or, the kite. It is Amir’s way to let loose and do something that he is great at, and enjoys doing. The symbols are so effiective because they are not normal and average objects and/ or events. They are abnormal and specific to Amir and therefore they give it a little more of a different perspective and angle to who Amir really is and what his life has been like and how it presently is.