Mr. Jost's Internet Classroom
8th Grade English Teacher
West Deptford Middle School
bjost@wdeptford.k12.nj.us
848-1200 X3090
  • Home
    • About Mr. Jost
    • My Pets
    • School Info
    • 8th Grade Rules
  • Daily Log
  • Class Stories
    • M.P. 1 >
      • "Priscilla and the Wimps"
      • "Wise Old Woman"
      • "I Go Along"
      • "Broken Chain"
      • THE COMPOUND
    • M.P. 2 >
      • Horror >
        • "The Landlady"
        • "Lamb to the Slaughter"
        • "Bloodstain"
        • "Bubble Bath No. 3"
        • "The Monkey's Paw"
        • "The Girl at the Window"
        • Shadows
        • The Phantom Hitchhiker
        • "The Tell-Tale Heart"
        • "The Black Cat"
        • "The Lover"
      • "The Lottery"
      • 2081
      • THE GIVER
    • M.P. 3 >
      • "Flowers for Algernon"
      • Ray Bradbury >
        • "There Will Come Soft Rains"
        • "The Veldt"
        • "All Summer in a Day"
        • "The Flying Machine"
        • "The Pedestrian"
        • "A Sound of Thunder"
        • Information
      • THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX
      • Argument Writing/Debates >
        • Debates
      • PARCC Training
    • M.P. 4 >
      • "The Diary of Anne Frank" >
        • Videos (Franks/Nazi Germany)
      • THE WESTING GAME
  • Homework
    • SSR
  • My Class
    • Novels
    • Short Stories
    • My Teaching Philosophy
    • Grading Scale
    • What to Expect This Year
    • Classroom Rules/Procedures
    • Materials Needed
    • Academic Integrity
    • Email Etiquette
    • References >
      • Literary References >
        • Plot Diagramming
        • Allusions
        • Symbolism
        • Tone vs. Mood
        • Characterization
        • Point of View
        • Irony
      • Sentence Patterns
      • Grammar
      • Symbolic Objects
      • Proper MLA Format
      • Links >
        • Writing
        • Reading >
          • Must Read Novels
        • Grammar
        • Poetry
        • Typing
  • CW
  • Use Your Noodle
    • Ethics
    • Free Will vs. Determinism
    • Identity
    • The Nature of Reality
    • The Nature of Dreams
    • Metaphysics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Political Philosophy
    • Dark Side of the Moon
    • Existentialism
This is my favorite part of teaching English!  We will be moving past the superficial reading of a story and delving into something much more satisfying and rewarding.  I'm talking about symbolism.  You will learn about the symbolic significance of colors, animals, weather, seasons and much more during the course of the year.  This page will be dedicated to some of the most common symbolic objects found in literature.  It's time to "think outside the book."

Colors

Picture
Red: love, death, blood
Blue: sadness
Green: envy, greed, money
Purple: royalty
Yellow: happiness, cheery
White: innocence, purity
Black: death, evil

Washing Hands

Picture
Symbolic of a character who did something wrong and wants to "wash away" responsibility for their actions (usually bad).

Weather

Picture
Sunny: happiness
Cloudy: foreboding 
Rainy: cleansing
Stormy: something bad
Snowy: death

Seasons

Picture
Spring: birth, renewal
Summer: youthful, carefree
Fall: middle aged/contemplating life
Winter: older/wiser

Animals

Picture
Lamb: passive, innocence
Goat: evil-natured, satanic
Dog: companionship
Cat: independence
Parrot: imitation
Rabbit: freedom


Mirror

Picture
In literature, mirrors often reflect a character's true feelings - good or bad.  It serves as an introspective look at a character.  If they look into a mirror and see a monster, they probably did something bad.

Created and Maintained by Mr. Jost
All Content is for Educational Purposes Only