Jane Austen’s style and language

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Symbolic images stand for more than simply what appears before the eyes. They represent a deeper meaning behind the image; something, for example, that an artist wants viewers to get from the image without saying it. In literature, symbolism is used to represent a deeper layer to the plot of a story. While the story tells literally what is happening, symbolism brings deeper meaning to the plot, setting and characters when used properly. Symbolic images do the same, portraying one literal moment in time, but possessing deeper layers of meaning behind them. Symbolism can take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another to give it an entirely different meaning that is much deeper and more significant. Sometimes, however, an action, an event or a word spoken by someone may have a symbolic value. For instance, “smile” is a symbol of friendship. Similarly, the action of someone smiling at you may stand as a symbol of the feeling of affection which that person has for you. Symbolism gives a writer freedom to add double levels of meanings to his work. A literal one that is self-evident and the symbolic one whose meaning is far more profound than the literal one. The symbolism, therefore, gives universality to the characters and the themes of a piece of literature. Symbolism in literature evokes interest in readers as they find an opportunity to get an insight of the writer’s mind on how he views the world and how he thinks of common objects and actions, having broader implications.