ShmoopTube

Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.

Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos


Language Arts Videos 106 videos

ELA 5: Themes
1128 Views

Picking a theme for a party is pretty easy—always go karate party, because they come with nunchuck egg rolls. Themes in writing are a little diff...

ELA 5: Genres of Non-Fiction
486 Views

Calling a book “non-fiction” is a bit like saying you have a dog. Sure it covers the basics, but there's a big difference between a Doberman an...

ELA Drills, Advanced: Spelling 5
63 Views

ELA Drills, Advanced: Punctuation 4. Which of the words is spelled correctly?

See All

ELA 5: Symbolism 2558 Views


Share It!


Description:

Sorry to disappoint, but this isn't a religion centered around banging metal plates together. Symbolism is a literary device authors use all the time. Take a look at the video to learn more.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

[Coop and Dino singing]

00:13

Symbols… symb-ly put… [washington's monument]

00:16

…are people, places, things, or actions that have meaning.

00:20

For example, the U.S. flag is a symbol of our country. [US flag flying high]

00:24

Pledging allegiance to the flag is a symbol of patriotism.

00:28

Making yourself a flag to represent the independent country of Michael-donia…

00:32

is a symbol of your growing insanity. [Michael holding a flag of Michael-donia]

00:35

Some symbols are so common that we almost forget they’re symbolic.

00:38

Like… a heart is a symbol for love.

00:41

Or…just something to make a string of emojis more colorful. [Person using a phone to send lots of emoji's]

00:44

But there are other symbols that aren’t common at all.

00:47

Writers will often use an image to represent something specifically in their own story… [A woman looking at an elephant on a mountain]

00:52

…or to suggest a particular idea to their readers.

00:56

Like…let’s take Little Red Riding Hood, for instance. [Little Red Riding Hood walking down a narrow path in the woods]

00:59

We’re sure you’re familiar with her sitch.

01:02

The gal in the hoodie with an appetite for baked goods. Yeah, her.

01:05

Her red hood is obviously a big deal… …after all, it is right in the title…

01:10

…but…what’s up with it? Why not a blue sombrero? Pink scarf? Yellow fanny pack? [Little Red Riding Hood wearing a blue sombrero, a pink scarf and a yellow fanny pack]

01:16

The writer of that fairy tale carefully picked out the red hood…and he did it for a reason. [Man wearing a red hood]

01:21

First, the hood is important, because in many cultures at that time, a woman wouldn’t

01:26

let her hair show until she was…a bit older and ready to find herself a man.

01:31

Obviously, Red isn’t there yet, so…the hood helps symbolize her youth and innocence.

01:36

The color is also important, because red is commonly regarded as the color of sin. [Little Red Riding Hood in the woods and everything turns red]

01:42

Yeah, the wolf might be the more sinful of the two, but…he is just hungry.

01:47

Red however… is a rule-breaker of the highest degree. [A man with red horns stalked by a wolf]

01:51

“Don’t talk to strangers!”

01:53

So…she talks to strangers. “Don’t stray from the path!”

01:58

So…she strays from the path. [Little Red Riding Hood walking away from the path into the woods]

02:00

So, by seeking out these little clues, we learn a lot about our young heroine before

02:05

the writer even has a chance to come right out and tell us about her. [Little Red Riding Hood walks into a house]

02:08

Which is why you should always read between the lines…

02:11

…always pay attention to descriptive wording…

02:13

…and ALWAYS stay on the path. [A headstone of Little Red Riding Hood by the side of a path]

02:16

We’re starting to feel like she’s doing this just to spite us.

Related Videos

ELA 5: How to Spot Bias
3247 Views

Check out the best bias video ever made, courtesy of the most awesome and amazing educational website in existence.

Social Studies 5: Impeachment
1011 Views

No, this isn't a terrible new mint-peach bubble gum flavor...though it does tend to leave a bad taste in people's mouths.

Social Studies 5: Jamestown
335 Views

Those settlers in Jamestown really should have settled down with all that land-stealing. Tobacco's bad for you anyway.

Social Studies 5: The Birth of Canada
199 Views

Being born out of multiple wars doesn't quite seem to fit the peaceful, polite Canadians we know and love today...oh wait, they were called The Bea...

Social Studies 5: How to Analyze a Political Cartoon
636 Views

Not every cartoon is meant to entertain small children while their mother gets some "Mommy time." There are also political cartoons, which are mean...