What sort of symbols do you like to use? Are they interconnected, or just comparisons, or keys to associate different events?

 

In Undertale for example I notice during one youtuber's play-through, he connected the dots on something early because of the golden flowers you land on in two different parts of the story. Then some metaphors have many parallels and can be looked at in-depth for ideas, which is what I mean by interconnected. Its not flawless but it is basically used as a medium to convey emotions that otherwise would not be possible to describe in the right context for the story. Another way to do that perhaps is to speak of a memory as indirectly related to an event the character is feeling.

 

I really enjoy this sort of thing because I used to keep a dream journal, and because of psychology. Writing is very neat in some ways, and I like parallels and comparisons. As long as it doesn't distract from a story I feel it can be used as a more meaningful tool that helps people realize something they could have trouble with otherwise.

 

Be it a teacher explaining a story to a student (which is great in fiction for decisive moments, story-ception lol. Also it kind of reverse psychological primes/projects onto the reader so they feel the emotions of the protagonist or whomever to understand them better in that moment, and the teacher. Its like you are a part of the story right there. Its immersive, and you forget yourself more readily and forget it as 'plot' and 'characters' and try understanding them as people more. Individuals.)

 

Also a great thing about symbolism is, when its approached vaguely, or is a deep metaphor, is it can have multiple correct reasonings. There is for instance a psychological study into music for example, finding that people who are closed minded feel cognitive dissonance when something defies their expectations. Psychologically its a potential symptom of unhealthy dependence on authority or social expectation. In people who are not closed-minded the differences can be like acquired tastes, or like hearing real music for the first time, like the world is more diverse than they thought. Sort of like culture shock. So with multiple correct angles to perceive a metaphor or symbol people end up thinking on the symbol less, and more on the meaning that is trying to be conveyed.

 

In Undertale however associative symbols like cactuses are surely the most tsundere of plants, or tsunderplane, or how flowey behaves like a cactus (trying to keep you away and make you afraid of him, trying to be intimidating or cruel.) its more associative. It gets you thinking and piecing things together. Its better for exploring a world, like a world with alot of mystery, where the world is more of interest.

 

I think it could be termed external and internal symbolism. Internal focuses on conveying a message. It is important that message gets across immediately or you won't feel the connection between the characters so its better to have parallels than trying to find matching ideas through reflection to the rest of the story. External focuses on comprehending the world, past events, less personal things.

 

They can work together, like you can give a revelation of symbolism to someone trying to understand a past struggle they have yet to overcome for example, and the teacher offers insight into it, then it is revealed how it ties into after. Which is withholding of information but foreshadowing with symbolism, like trying to connect the dots, but it is impossible to do so until new information is revealed. It generates interest into the story. It is external symbolism being resolved thanks to internal symbolism. Which can be like a wisdom and convey meaning or a moral to the story.

 

Also, it helps direct audience attention. Like, don't focus on the problems in front of you, focus on the end goal, not the bumps in the road sorta mentality. Studies say that focusing on the hindrances makes people fail more, and focusing past them helps us move past them. Its the same idea, and can be used to demonstrate struggles and divert attention.

 

Like a cloaked person saying the crow will eat the snake at dawn. Its all obviously symbolic language you cannot perceive without new information and our brain sort of automatically picks up on it and knows its bread crumbs leading to a tasty treat foreshadowed from other pieces of information.

 

What are your thoughts about this? How much symbols do you use in your stories? How much do you write (so I know the context of where you are coming from to better understand the information you share)? When should symbols be used or avoided?

 

Thoughts in general? How do you use symbols, and why? (etc)

Source: External and internal symbolism in a story (critique being offered and wanted.)