“Symbols are images that have a meaning beyond themselves. In a short story, a symbol is a detail, a character, or an incident that has a meaning beyond its literal role in the narrative” (Guth and Rico 141). In each of the stories which we have read there have been objects with special significance for the characters in those stories. Select at least three of the following stories, and write an essay which explains the significance of each object to a character or characters in the story as it symbolizes the central theme or meaning of the story.

Your essay should begin with a brief introduction that focuses on how stories often have central images or objects which define or symbolize the conflict(s) within the story. Write a brief body paragraph for each of the stories we have studied. You may write about the stories in any order, and you should consider appropriate transitions that will move your essay from one story to the next. Your conclusion should re-emphasize the power of images within a story to define and qualify the conflicts within that story.

Your essay should be at least 500 words in length. You may refer to your textbook for quotations or details to use in your essay; however, you may not use any notes that you may have written.

Guth, Gabrielle L. and Hans P. Rico. Discovering Literature: Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Prentice Hall, 2000. Print.