A symbol is something, usually a concrete
object, that develops emotional, religious or intellectual associations (abstract)
beyond its
literal meaning .
In addition, the physical properties
of the thing must bear some relation to the feelings or ideas the thing
symbolizes. For example, a red rose may symbolize love partly because
it is delicate, pretty, smells sweet, is evanescent, is the color of blood,
and has thorns.
Most symbols can be understood only in a cultural
or traditional context. For example, the cross has powerful emotional associations only
within Christianity, and a ring has a long cultural association with
unity and hence the ideas of perfection and completeness we hope for in a marriage.
An author uses cultural symbols as
a kind of short hand; he can convey a lot of information merely by mentioning a
symbol, as in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.”