The Simple Gift - Symbols and Themes

What is a symbol?

• A thing that you can see

• A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

• A thing that you can't see

• A thing that represents something in culture or society,

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Symbols operate on how many levels?

• Literal and metaphoric

• Literal and allegorical

• Literal and emotional

• Literal, cultural, emotional, metaphorical

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Which of the following is a frequent symbol in culture?

• A rock

• A dog

• A mobile phone

• A candle

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In The Simple Gift, frequent symbols include:

• Cars, flowers, grasslands, keys and motorways

• Train-tracks, keys, the river, birds and the natural environment

• Sunsets, train carriages, red roses and lyre birds

• Champagne bottles, rivers, cans and koalas

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Billy's emotions are often symbolically connected to

• Crows

• Dogs

• Sunshine

• Maccas meals

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The train tracks in The Simple Gift symbolise

• Travel, freedom, mobility, movement

• Social divisions and social divides

• Both social freedom and personal restriction

• Both personal freedom and social restriction

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Caitlin is associated with the symbol of

• Mops

• Shadows

• The simple gift of a meal

• Candles

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One of the most central symbols in the book include

• The keys that Old Bill gives to Billy

• The simple gift of the meal that Caitlin makes

• The mop at Maccas

• The crow at the station

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In The Simple Gift the river is associated with

• Cleaning one's self

• Social connection

• Romance

• Going with the flow

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The literal meaning of a key is

• The ability to unlock something mechanically

• The ability to unlock the future

• The ability to access freedom

• The ability to own your own home

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