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Symbolism in A Death in the Family
By Angela Miller

Overview

This lesson is a film viewing activity suitable for grades 7-12. It consists of three sections: Previewing, Viewing, and Post Viewing Activities. The overall goal of the lesson is to engage students in a critical viewing of the film A Death in the Family by having students analyze the use of symbolic objects in the film and identify the message these objects convey.

Objectives

Students will:

• Define and understand symbolic literary references
• Analyze poetic devices and themes
• Compare different literary genres

Skills Attained

• Identifying symbols and their meanings in text and film
• Discussion skills
• Comparison Contrast skills
• Charting skills

Pre-Viewing Activity

1. Ask students "What is a symbol?"

2. After eliciting several responses, give students a formal definition.

3. Symbolism- the use of symbols to convey meaning. A symbol can be an object, person, situation or action, which stands for something else more abstract.

4. Ask students, "What are some common symbols?" Answers might include the flag, a heart, the cross etc.) Discuss significance of symbols.

5. Tell students they will be reading the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost.

6. Give students a brief background on Frost and the symbolist movement of the 19^th century.

7. Instruct students to locate symbols in the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" and use the Analyzing Symbols Chart to make a list of the symbols and their meanings.

8. After students have completed the reading task, have one student read the poem aloud.

9. Elicit students' responses to the Analyzing Symbols Chart and engage students in a discussion about the theme of the poem. Some possible questions to ask:

1. Explain line 1, what is nature's first green?

2. Why is it the hardest hue to hold?

3. What might nature's early leaf be?

4. Why does Frost consider nature's early leaf a flower?

5. Why does it remain for only an hour?

6. Of what is the hour symbolic?

7. What does the leaf subsiding to leaf mean?

8. Why does Frost include a line about Eden?

9. What does "dawn goes down to day" mean?

10. What does gold symbolize in the poem?

11. What evidence is there in the poem that this poem is about life and death? Explain

12. What evidence is there in the poem that this poem is about the loss of innocence? Explain

Tell students that they will be viewing the film A Death in the Family, which is based on the novel by James Agee. The film like the novel deals with a family's struggle to cope with the sudden and violent death of a loved one. Similar to Frost's poem the film is a sharp reminder that "nothing gold can stay."

Viewing Activity

Tell students that as they watch the film A Death in the Family they will be responsible for completing one of the following tasks:

(The teacher will assign students to the following groups)

• Group A- How is the cap a symbolic object? What does it symbolize? Discuss the scenes involving the cap. Identify and explain the dialogue important to understanding the cap as a symbolic object. What message does the film convey using the cap?
• Group B- How is the clock a symbolic object? What does it symbolize? Discuss the scenes involving the clock. Identify and explain the dialogue important to understanding the clock as a symbolic object. What message does the film convey using the clock?
• Group C- How is the cotter pin a symbolic object? What does it symbolize? Discuss the scenes involving the cotter pin. Identify and explain the dialogue important to understanding the cotter pin as a symbolic object. What message does the film convey using the cotter pin?
• Group D- How is the story about the butterfly on the coffin a symbolic element? What does it symbolize? Discuss the scenes involving the butterfly. Identify and explain the dialogue important to understanding the butterfly story. What message does the film convey using the butterfly story?
• Group E- Where are the ironic elements in the story? What makes these elements ironic? Discuss the scenes involving irony? Identify and explain the dialogue important to understanding the use of irony in the story. What message does the film convey using irony?

Post Viewing Activity

1. After viewing the film, allow students to gather in their assigned group to discuss their individual responses to their group's task and prepare an oral presentation.

2. Allow each group to present their findings to the class.

3. After all the groups have presented, ask the students:

A. How does the film's message compare to Frost's message in the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay"?

B. Relate a specific line in the poem to a specific scene in the film?

C. What is the film's message about death?

Analyzing Symbols Chart

Symbolic Object	Scene(s) in which the symbol object appears	Dialogue associated with symbol object	Meaning of the symbolic object
Cap
Clock
Cotter Pin
Butterfly

 

Symbolist Movement
The symbolist movement in literature originated in France between the late 19^th and early 20^th century. It was a reaction against realism and naturalism and designed to convey impressions by suggestion rather than by direct statement. The Symbolists believed in the possibility of reflecting the inner eternal reality or the invisible absolute through verbal symbols. Although Frost often uses symbols in his work, he is not considered a symbolist. Instead, Frost insisted, "If poetry has to have a name, I'd prefer to call it Emblemism…"

For more information on Frost, go to the American Writing Gateway on this site, http://www.ncteamericancollection.org/awg_frost_robert.htm