The definition of a symbol from the dictionary is; “a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.” Nearly every single text contains some form of a symbol, whether it is obvious, or not. These symbols are often thought to have specific meanings that can be related to other real life events that happen every day. However, very frequently these so called symbols do not solely represent one thing, as they could have endless meanings. When a human being picks up a work of literature and begins to read the words on the page they bring to the table their own life experiences and prior knowledge with them. This helps people to make connections through the text and create a whole other meaning beyond what is written on the page. In doing this the symbols that are commonly stumbled upon, gain endless amounts of meanings. Other times some works of English might have very literal writings that are meant to be taken as what they are, and in their exact form. These types of texts are usually over analyzed and can be turned into texts full of symbols even when the author meant for the work to be strictly literal. In Thomas Fosters’ “Is that a symbol?” he discusses the different meanings behind symbols from several different stories coming from famous authors. After reading and analyzing his work of literature the argument can be made that every story has some form of a symbol, but what it means depends on the reader.

In almost every text that was ever written or published symbols are used in order to connect common feelings, or to relay a common theme or an issue that has happened in the world. These symbols are chosen carefully by the author, and he or she typically has specific connections in mind that they want the reader to realize and understand. However, the author knows that the way they think is most likely different than their readers, therefore, the symbol could end up having multiple meanings. Many times it is hard to pick up what the author is trying to reveal and the true meaning of the symbol is lost somewhere in the text. This does not mean that a text is completely meaning less, however the message that was intended to be harvested from the text may not come to light. Readers create their own story while comprehending texts, which in turn forces them to create their own meanings for symbols. As stated before readers bring their own life experiences, and opinions when they begin to read a book. And because no two people have experienced the exact same happenings of life, different meanings are interpreted from the same story. In the writing by Thomas Foster he explains that symbols have no definite meaning, backing up the claim that it is nearly impossible for one story to mean only one thing. 

One problem that readers face is thinking that a symbol is designed to mean one specific thing. This is horribly wrong. In fact, whatever you as the reader thinks a symbol could mean that is probably what it does. Well at least for you. When a book or story is read it is designed to bring meaning and thoughts to the mind of the reader. The author wants people to become creative and dig deep into what they have written. This concept is where the idea of reading between the lines is derived from. There is typically another meaning behind what is obvious in a text, sometimes more than one, that can be interpreted and used as a way to analyze the story. It may be true that an author writes a story with a specific moral in mind, however, if another meaning can be drawn from reading the text then that just makes the story better overall. Many texts are written in a very literal way and the meaning of the story is actually what is written in the lines. These types of text typically do not contain much symbolism and cannot be analyzed deeper than what is written on the page.

In the text “Is this a symbol?” Thomas Foster makes a point to mention that some symbols actually do have only one meaning. These certain symbols are called allegories and are very rare but still do occur in modern English. An allegory is a symbol that can be easily interpreted to have one specific meaning by many different people. This is a counter argument to the fact that all symbols contain multiple meanings in the most direct form possible. “If they can, it’s not symbolism, it’s an allegory.” This is a direct quote from Thomas Fosters “Is that a symbol?” This quote can be used to back up the claim that a symbol with only one defined meaning is not truly a symbol but an allegory. Allegories can be used when authors know exactly what they want to relay to readers, or if they have a specific moral they want to express. Many times even things that may seem like allegories are in fact symbols. In the text, Thomas Foster talks about a white flag being a universal symbol for surrender, but it could also mean “We come in peace.” The lesson learned here is that even the simplest allegories can be interpreted to have two different meanings. The argument that there is no such thing as an allegory could be made here, but that claim would most likely be destroyed after a few minutes of research.

In conclusion, as readers analyze books, stories, articles, and even poems, symbols will always be present just waiting to be discovered. We may never know what the author truly means when a symbol is created, but at least the text will still continue to serve a larger purpose by providing the reader with the tools to interpret meanings for themselves. Texts that have little to no deeper meaning can still be broken down enough to the point where a symbol is easily viewable. This is a very difficult task for some and requires a great knowledge of English language and a whole lot of creativity. Allegories are commonly used when an author wants to relay a specific meaning, but many times this will not hold true as multiple meanings can still be derived. In the end we now know that all stories have one form of a symbol and can be interpreted to mean anything that the reader can relate. The author does not control where the story goes after it is published. That is the readers job.