Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

What is a symbol?

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

Symbol – something that is used to represent an object or idea

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

A lamb is a symbolof gentleness.

Our flag is a symbol

of our country.

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

The lion is a symbolof courage or strength.

The dove is asymbol of peace.

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

Writers also use symbols.In literature a symbol is a word or

phrase that names an object or event that has meaning to readers.

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

They use symbols:

to make their writing more interesting to read

to make readers think

to make readers keep reading

Hmmm…This will make them want to keep turning the

pages!

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

Writers sometimes use colors as symbols.

Good Guy Bad Guy

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

Red often symbolizes violence.

A deep red covered the evening sky

as Johnny left the house

with rage in his heart.

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

A Few Tips to Add to Your Understanding of Symbols

Public symbols are used over and over again by many writers.

Sunrise(Birth/New Start)

Sunset (Old Age/Death)

Colors are also public symbols.

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

Private symbols are symbols that writers make up on their own.

Warning: This makes them tricky for the reader to spot.

Examples: A teddy bear that a grandfather gives a grandchild could serve as a symbol of the grandfather after he dies.

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

A growing flower could serve as a

symbol of a character’s

growing comfort in his new

neighborhood.

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

Tips for Spotting and Interpreting Symbols

Symbols are usually objects or animals, so be alert to objects and animals a writer mentions.

If an object or animal is mentioned repeatedly, or if it changes over time, it just might be a symbol.

Be alert to objects that a main character handles or mentions.

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

More Tips for Spotting and Interpreting Symbols

Pay attention to descriptions of the object.

Pay attention to the dialogue in a story.

Once you spot what you think is a symbol, ask yourself what it might be symbolizing.

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

As you listen to The Wretched Stone, make a mind movie.

Be prepared to identify:

• the symbol in the story

• what it represents

• what the author thinks of the thing he has symbolized

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

What object was used as a symbol in the

The Wretched Stone?

What do you think the symbol represents?

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

It’s television!

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

What message is Chris Van Allsburg sending us about

television?

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

Do you recall what “wretched” means?

What did the sailors become when they began watching the wretched stone?

Do you agree or disagree with Van Allsburg? Why?

Listening ComprehensionTopic: Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols

Be alert to the author’s use of

symbolism in the book we are reading!