TODAY’S SCHEDULE

1. Choice reading and conferences

2. Wrapping symbolism and subtext
3. The role of characters
4. “Bullet in the Brain”

Homework: Reading Journal #2

 WHY SYMBOLS
They can be fun and interesting…
 WHY SYMBOLS?

…and they can also be…

Effective!

Take Hemingway. Around the time of “Old Man at the Bridge” he said, “Never think that
war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” 


This might persuade some, but in general humans don’t like being directly persuaded.


So instead he writes a story full of sadness with his messages conveyed symbolically.
This allows us to absorb it at a more subconscious level and to connect it more directly
to our own experience and thoughts.
 OTHER POTENTIAL READING
TOPICS: CHARACTER
• Alongside symbolism and subtext, we can also notice character, which is
the engine that drives literature.

• In the same way that all great stories have thoughtful themes, all great
stories have strong, engaging characters.

• We come to characters because we are social creatures, hungry to learn

from others, and characters offer a safe, interesting way to do that.

• To practice this idea, as we read, “Bullet in the Brain” think about what
we can learn from the character of Anders.