Today, we're going to talk about symbolism. A symbol is a concrete thing in a story or poem--something you can touch, taste, see, smell, or hear that represents an abstraction. Something that represents something that can't be sensed with the five senses. So, an abstraction is something like an emotion, like a concept, a value--something that you can't directly address with your senses. Now, the story that you read for this one for this idea--or for this term--is “A Worn Path.” There’s lots of symbols in “A Worn Path.” A symbol in “A Worn Path” might be that Phoenix Jackson is a symbol for the love one has for one's family (or) you could say Phoenix Jackson is a symbol of nature, due to the fact that she is strongest in nature, and as she goes more towards civilization she becomes weaker, weaker, and weaker. That’s just one reading of it but the thing is with symbols (is that) there's no bible for symbols. There’s no specific thing that says all right Phoenix Jackson is “mother nature” So, that kind of leaves it open to you. If you can attach a concept to a concrete object in a story or a poem and then have places in that story or poem that back you up--that support your idea--then you have identified a valid or made a valid assumption or valid identification of a symbol and the thing that it symbolizes. So, remember a symbol is a concrete thing in a story or a poem or a play--any work of art that represents an abstraction. Have a good day!