on Anne R. Allen:

When it comes to storytelling elements, we’re all pretty familiar with symbolism. You basically take an object, word, color, phrase, etc., and apply it in a story to give it a deeper meaning.

Tolkien’s one ring (evil) in Lord of the Rings
The floating feather (destiny/fate) in Forrest Gump
A Mockingjay (rebellion) in The Hunger Games

Some symbols are super obvious; other times, readers have more of a subconscious awareness that the object is really meant to represent X. Either way, when a symbol is deliberately included in a creative work, it’s almost always saying something about the story’s theme.

But theme … this one isn’t as easy to grasp. So let’s talk about this element and how you can use it along with symbolism to strengthen your writing.