Sword Of Shannara Symbolism Analysis

Symbolism is when concrete things are used to represent, substitute, or parallel abstract ideas or themes. Authors can use symbolism to solidify the characters’ lives and background. Symbolism is often open to interpretation, as it is what the reader believes an object represents. Symbols are commonly used to show larger themes that run throughout the story. Objects for symbolism can be people, places, or things. In Terry Brooks’s The Sword of Shannara, the forest is used as a symbol of fear, mysteriousness, and/or death. So far, the party to retrieve the Sword of Shannara has disintegrated, and the protagonist is lost. The story still keeps track of all of the characters, even though it has disassembled. Most recently, Menion Leah, or the Prince of Leah, rescued …show more content…
In addition, the quote uses living organisms and describes them as sad, adding on to the gloominess of the forest. An analytical reader, whilst reading this, would obviously notice the forest as a symbol of those three qualities. Later on, the trio scans their surroundings, both worn out but alert; the night and the sleepiness seeps into their minds as they continue their trek forward. For instance, Brooks says, “ . . . there was no sign of wind, no sound of a breeze rustling the . . . or dying oaks . . . For long moments they stood motionless at the edge of the marsh, their eyes and ears concentrated on the impenetrable mist moving sluggishly across the surface of the dead water” (102). Much like the previous excerpt from the story, this one describes the marsh setting that is inside the forest. By not using any words to describe color, the author makes it feel as if the forest itself is deprived of color, making it seem dead or lifeless. The fear comes from the fact that very little is happening action-wise, and the characters are standing in one place and carefully examining their surroundings, wary and alert. The mysteriousness comes from the story and how