Recap of Fridays Class Notes:

Just in case you werent in class on Friday or you need a little extra notes to add to YOUR OWN notes
from Friday here is your extra scaffolding (educational jargon for a step up)
Symbolism:
A person, place, or thing that comes to represent an abstract idea or concept (i.e. Dove with an olive
branch represents peace).
Allegory:
A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning or moral. The story as
WHOLE is a symbol for a broader idea. Allegory= Symbol
How can Symbolism and Allegory be found in a literary work?
When spotting symbols/symbolism:
1. Note how many times an object or character is mentioned in the work. (motif)
2. Note how much detail is used in describing the object.
When spotting an allegory:
1. Characters whose names represent the trait they are portraying. (Remember the character named
Good and the character named Evil?)
2. Settings tend to make allusions to other historical events or literary works
3. The plot is VERY simple.
Why do you need to know about symbolism and allegory?
Symbolism is an important literary tool for writers and readers alike because it adds Depth to writing.
It can be used to provide insight past the literal explanation or analysis of the work. It also can be a means
in which the author communicates indirectly to the audience. (Reading between the lines).
Allegory is an important literary tool because it is an artful way of conveying a life lesson to the
audience or getting the audience to take a deeper look into the society ills or social injustice. Allegories are
commonly found in fables or parables.
Other literary terms that symbolism and allegory connect to:
Foreshadowing: If the symbol is changing, what it represents may also be changing in the near future.
(Remember the example of the tree the character that is deeply connected to the tree. If the tree begins
to die what does that foreshadow for the character in the near future in the story?)
Allegory: Every part of an allegory is a symbol for a broader idea. The characters setting and plot are all
symbols. Allegory makes every scene, plot and setting significant to the overall idea or concept that the
allegory is attempting to represent.
Characters: How a character interacts with a symbol affects the character and how the audience
perceives the character. In an allegory, the character is turned into a symbol and the character has the
traits necessary to portray that symbol.
Setting: The setting in an allegory is generally an allusion to a historical event or an abstract idea.

Mini-Lesson on British Imperialism

Rudyard Kipling was born in India, but retained his loyalty to the British Crown. He was a
strong supporter of British Imperialism of India. He strongly believed that it was the job of the
British Empire to civilize the uncivilized natives of the colonies they annexed. In fact, it was
Britains duty as a superior culture to spread British culture and customs ( The White Mans
Burden)
When Britain began to take over parts of India, in the mid-1800s, it was at the height of the
British Empire. They sent Christian missionaries over to convert native Indians to Christianity
from Hinduism.
Taking over India wasnt easy because of its sheer size and man power, however, due to the fall
of the Mughal Empire, India was weak and polarized which made it ripe to be colonized.
Britain employed many Indian sympathizer into its colonization army called the East Indian
Company these soldiers were known as Sepoys.
The British saw India as its crown jewel for it was rich in raw material and textile resources.
The British controlled much of the Indian economic and political power. They restricted Indian
owned industries, which limited profit.
Emphasis on cash crops led to farmers being forced to focus more on profit rather than making
enough food for themselves and their families which led to widespread famine.
By 1857, the Sepoy, which made up the majority of the East Indian Company had enough of the
blatant suppression of their Indian culture and thus the Sepoy Mutiny or Indian Mutiny Revolt
ensued.
Due to the total disrespect of the Hindu and Muslim religion, the Sepoy rose up and marched
into Delhi. However, the revolt was short lived due to the lack of nationalistic fervor among the
majority of the colonized Indians (in fact they feared standing up again the British).
When the revolt was crushed it caused the end of the Mughal Empire (the ruling power in India
for centuries) and also the end of duality system between the East Indian Company and the
British Empire. The entire country of India was now controlled solely by the British Raj (the
British educated Indians or British Chancellors).
India remained under British control until 1949 after WWII. Britain sustain such massive
losses economically and politically during the war effort that they were forced to grant India its
independence just to sustain the crumbling country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9wO-NoP7h4 (British Imperialism explained)

The White Mans Burden by Rudyard Kipling 1899 (First Stanza)

Take up the White Mans burden
Send forth the best ye breed
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives need;
To wait in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild
Your need caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child.