The Art of Symbolism

Have you ever felt a sudden change in the atmosphere of a story? More specifically after a rain. Now why is that? What effect does rain have on a moment in a story? 

This all stems from the deeper meaning of rain and the symbolism of different types of weather as a whole. Rain is most commonly associated with renewal, rebirth and grief. This is why rainfall occurs after a major event in a book or movie. It is to symbolize a change, maybe a character’s moving on from something or their mourning of a loss. Rain is the author’s way of washing away an old feeling and introducing a new one to take its place. 

Something we have been experiencing a lot of recently, would be the early morning fog. So dense that you can hardly see your own hand. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it might be something you would read about in a book. A character’s inability to see themselves through a thick cloud of unknowingness and confusion. Fog symbolizes the unknown, untruthfulness, and at times, fear. Mist can mean the same things in literature, but it errs more on the side of darkness and horror, hence The Mist, 2007 horror film. 

Symbolism is found in nearly every work of literature. It’s important to pay attention and learn the different kinds and their meanings so that you can create a well written and complex story of your own.