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Symbolism Thesaurus: Unity

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Every day we interact with objects, places and sensations that affect the way we think and feel. This can be used to the writer’s advantage by planting symbols in the reader’s path to reinforce a specific message, feeling or idea.

Look at the setting and the character’s state of mind, and then think about what you want the reader to see. Is there a descriptive symbol or two that works naturally within the scene to help foreshadow an event or theme, or create insight into the character’s emotional plight?

In Nature:

A stand of trees
Animals crowding together in a storm
Animal herds
A pack hunting prey
Bird migrations
Animal migrations…

In Society:

Marriage
Family
Church/religion
Charitable organizations
Political parties
Human chain…

These are just a few examples of things one might associate with Unity. Some are more powerful than others. A human chain is a strong symbol, and likely will not require reinforcement. However, the howls of a pack of wolves may not foreshadow unity on its own. Let the story’s tone decide if one strong symbol or several smaller ones work the best.

Symbolism is a universal language that can add great depth and meaning to your story.

So you can reap the full benefit of this powerful tool, we’ve expanded the entire collection by 70% and integrated it into our online library at One Stop For Writers. Each entry comes with a long list of ideas for symbols and motifs, and we’ve included popular symbolism examples from literature and movies, as well. These entries have also been cross-referenced for easy searchability across all our other thesauri. To see a free sample of the updated Symbolism and Motif Thesaurus along with our other collections, pop on over and register at One Stop.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Elisabeth says

    And then there is enmeshment, more a merger, a symbiosis than a unity.

    To be united we need also to be separate.

    Thanks for a thought provoking post, Angela. I’m new to your blog, via Clarissa Draper, and always in search of good writing.

  6. Shannon says

    As always, very useful. Some of these symbolism thesaurus entries would probably also be very useful for people designing signs from gods and symbols of religion in fantasy worlds. A God of Unity might incorporate some of these elements in manifestations and religious events.

  10. Chuck says

    Well here I am fresh from Clarissa Draper’s blog! She pointed in this direction with a captivating post honoring your Thesaurus-filled side bar. Very cool stuff…I’m a follower!

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