How do you break down a book symbolically?

Answer 1

Well, it depends on the book, and it depends on what symbolism you are drawing from it. If you were looking at the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears for instance, you could say that Goldilocks symbolizes a myriad of things. If you're a marxist, she might symbolize the unthinking oppressors, and the bears symbolize the working class. If you are looking at the story from a religious standpoint, you could find that Goldilocks represents all of us going through our lives, and the bears might represent challenges, temptations, or obstacles to reaching our spiritual goals. The trick is to decide what symbols you see in the book, and make sure that all of the major events and characters are explained, in that context. Once you have that broken down, then you can move on to adding detail about how the interaction of these symbols illustrates a larger message.