Symbols can be represented throughout different pieces of literature however, these symbols can be interpreted in many ways and meanings based on previous experiences and knowledge. These symbols can also be analyzed by asking questions such as “what does the author mean when he/she says this?” or “does this idea represent a bigger picture in the text as a whole?”. There does not always have to be an exact answer for what a symbol is which means there can be variations in meanings and ideas when describing them. In Is That a Symbol?, the author uses scenarios from works such as The Waste Land,  A Passage to India and Animal Farm to support these questions and give meaning to symbols not having to contain an exact answer..

Often in books, authors make a book and allegory because they want the purpose of the story to come across clear and without second guesses. The author of Is That a Symbol, Thomas Foster, shows examples of this in The Pilgrim’s Progress and Animal Farm. These types of books need to have a clear message because if not, then the message could be misinterpreted and the purpose of the story could fail. Foster says “Such simplicity of purpose has its advantages”. This is important although the story itself might be straight forward and easily understood, the main purpose in writing these pieces is to bring a point across. 

However, literature that is not written as an allegory can have symbols that can be hard to find and interpret. This is because many times there can be more than one possible meaning. Foster brings in an example from A Passage to India to support this idea that he calls “the problem of the cave”. In this, characters enter a cave and each have a different experience. The cave is symbolic of something but what exactly is not known. Instead, the author allows the reader to try to dig into the story in order to try to figure out the hidden meaning. Foster says “There is a limitless range of possible interpretations” and these answers will vary based on the types of questions that the reader asks, the past experiences that they have had and preexisting knowledge to the situation. Everyone can determine symbols differently because everyone has a different past and contain different thoughts that influences the way the symbol is interpreted. These previous experiences and knowledge can include “previous readings, educational attainment, gender, race, class, faith, social involvement, and philosophical inclination”. Foster also brings in The Waste Land to show that different backgrounds and experiences can affect the way we interpret a symbol. Foster says he takes the symbolism out of historical context but not everyone may interpret it in that way. Others may interpret it from a biographical or formal approach instead which will influence what the symbol means to them. 

The next consideration that Foster says can have an influence on symbolic meaning is that while reading, people will look for symbols to be objects and images instead of events or actions. Robert Frosts’ Mowing is used to support this idea by describing the action of mowing a field with a scythe. This action can be used to describe labor in general or also the work that is needed to make it in life or even further than that. After Apple Picking is another example that Foster uses to support this idea. In this work, many actions are done that can lead people into thinking about only the literal meaning of the story which is autumn. However, it could also be used to show the stress that is placed on the mind throughout the day. These symbolic actions are shown throughout the poems that Foster talks about and shows another way in which a reader can interpret a symbol by either looking for it in objects and images or in events and actions.

At the end of Is That a Symbol?, Foster ties everything together by saying in order to try to understand or figure out a what a symbol is in a piece of literature, you should use multiple techniques that were described. This is important because it helps the reader keep an open mind about what the symbol could be and it encourages creativity and the use of our “symbolic imagination”. Throughout Is That a Symbol, Foster describes that having preexisting knowledge and experiences of a work and asking questions can influence the way people perceive symbols. Depending on these situations, more than one meaning for a symbol can be present and can be accepted because it is all based on how the reader is interpreting it. Many readers might not use every technique described but it is encouraged because it allows for creative thinking to be used when trying to determine the symbol.  