The Abstractness of Symbolism

In Chapter 12 in Foster’s, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster discusses the

difference between an allegory and a symbol and how many met the two confused. While

allegories only have one clear cut answer, symbols are more up for debate, having many

different ways of interpretation. A good example of a symbol would what the river symbolizes in

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck and Jim are traveling down this river together

heading to the same place, but both have two different goals and endpoints at the end of this

river, thus river symbolizes something different Huck and Jim. For Huck, he sees the river as his

path to escape society and live free, away from his abusive father. On the other Jim rides down to

river to escape slave territory and finally be able to live as a free man. While both Huck and Jim

are using this river an escape from their past lives, they both want the freedom from it for

different reasons.

Symbols can be found everywhere throughout literature, even in the places you would

least expect. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has two notable symbols

consistent throughout the novel, being light and dark, and fire. Throughout the novel, the

setting’s luminosity changes depending on what kind of event is currently at hand. Light is used

to represent the idea of hope, happiness, or even ambition to keep pushing forward, while dark

represents fear, sadness, and death. In Chapter 7 of Frankenstein, when Victor heads home to

grieve the loss of his sibling William, Victor says that, “grief and fear again overcame me. Night

also closed around; and when I could hardly see the dark mountains”. Mary Shelley used

darkness and fear so closely together to show that they are tied together and used to represent

one another. Another symbol found in Frankenstein would be the symbol of fire as a double-

edged sword. In Chapter 11, the Monster discovers the beneficial properties of fire, to cook and
heal give warmth. However, he soon also discovers that fire can also be very dangerous when he

plunges his hand curiously into the fire. He uses this knowledge at the end of the novel when the

Monster tries to kill himself by burning himself alive after the death of his creator, Victor

Frankenstein. The light and fire symbols can even overlap sometimes, as how light in itself is a

byproduct of fire. Light from the fire allows the Monster to see at night while all alone at

surrounding by darkness. However, this is not always the case as we have clearly seen how fire

can harm too through the Monster’s death.

The idea of symbolism is relative, unique to each person who interprets it. Unlike

allegories there is no right answer and completely up to the reader’s own personal beliefs and

values. Just like how the river in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn mean two separate things

to both Huck and Jim. Since these symbols allow for a wide range of different answers,

sometimes these symbols can even overlap, allowing for both symbols to represent one concept.

This is clearly shown in how light and fire can sometimes both have the same meaning, as in

hope and safety, can other times be exact opposites when the Monster burns to death.