4133

ESL 21A

Essay 1.2

794 words

Symbols

    According to our textbook, "a symbol, in general, is a sign or object that represents something else." Symbols are marks, animals, clothes, or anything else which metaphor something. Today lots of symbols are around our life and they are important to make our life. As according to our text book, "the human mind comprehends ideas better when they are expressed in visual and auditory symbols." Nowadays we can see lots of uniforms in this world for each job so that people can distinguish them. We can call it theCut one of symbolism functions. Also, we can say that music, which we can not see, is one of symbolism. Music is a symbol of a culture or a religion. Besides symbols sometimes mirror how exact world is now thus people use symbols to find out how it is. Now we have three symbolisms in our life; visible, invisible and opposition. {1}

    In the point of view of visible symbols, anything can be a symbol of something and they help us to distinguish what it isGood!. As our text book mentions that "individuals in positions of authority are associated with particular objects that become symbols of the office they hold," especially clothes are important symbols of any jobs. Uniforms are helping us to distinguish any jobs. For example, we can not ask help when you are being aimed by a gun from stranger unless you find somebody wearing cops uniform. When you get real awful stomachache and there is a man who wears postman's uniform, you do not want him to treat yourself. You must ask doctor who wears white gown to treat you. Uniforms are good example of visible symbols because you never discern any jobs unless they wear particular clothes for their jobs. In addition, not only uniforms but also other accessories are important visible symbols such as crowns, badges, emblems, and so on. Basically they define rank of jobs. Especially crowns are well known as highest rank. People usually do not behave rudely in front of somebody who wears it since crown is a great symbol of authority.

    Secondly, as I mentioned, although music is invisible, it is important symbol which represent culture or religion. For example, rock music is from a culture of United States. The symbols of rock music are anger and out-law. In United States, there is also a good example of symbolical music which is soul music. Soul music is really famous music style from ancientWChoice time. It is made from the culture of African American. Not only soul music but also hip-hop music is great symbolical music from African American. They made those music styles from ancient time and there was a huge history for each. That music sings about their huge history and nowadays. Since in hip-hop music, they sing against the racial discrimination, the symbol of hip-hop is basically anti-racial discrimination. Besides, as hip-hop used to be a symbol of against to politics when politics was racism, music can mirror the politics at that time. That is also great one of symbolism functions. Religious music is symbol of the each religion or some other things. There is too much religious music to explain about. They can be symbols of elements such as land, fire, wind, and water and also can be symbols of god of the religion. In religion music, there are also symbols of emotion such as sadness, gladness, anger and so on. As you can see, music can be any symbols which mean that they are also important symbols and symbolic functions.{2}

    As you can see, there are two clear functions of symbols such as visible symbols and invisible symbol. In addition, they have opposite side of their usual symbols. For example, as I mentioned about music, when music symbols are anti-politics, we can find how the politics is being at that time because people use music to deny the politics and claim their opinions which usually against the politics at that time. Since symbol sometimes have opposition against something, we can figure out how it is being now. People use symbols sometimes to find out opposition of something and how they are now. Symbols become sometimes good marker for it.

    In conclusion, we can use symbols to find out somethingVague or just become like a message of somethingVague. Symbols have many ways to use themWOrder due to the fact that symbols have some functions which itCut is not easy to notice though. Anthropologist and analyst use symbolism like that way well, but usually rest of people does not do since they do not even notice. Although symbols are important and great invisible materials for our lives, unless we notice the fact, they do not allow us to see their true or back side face.