A clash of symbols: does the teaching of ideas such as "symbols," and "theme" help or hurt a student's understanding of the text

I believe that they should definitely be taught. I've spent 5 years teaching esl and am now teaching English at a high school. I think it's important for students to be able to read and enjoy a piece of literature at face value; however, they won't often really "get" what's happening without doing a literary analysis on the story.

I assign Lord of the Flies as a summer reading text to all of my incoming 10th graders. They do basic character analysis while reading and I reserve the discussion of symbolism and theme for my in-class lessons. I truly believe students benefit from a discussion and analysis of symbols and themes; however, educators should be careful in helping students to understand that not everything is a symbol or a theme. I find students have difficulty in understanding and grasping the development of a symbol or theme throughout a text and my role as educator is to help them uncover these hidden meanings as we go back through chapters and discuss and analyze. When students are taught to read critically and to devise thoughts on the development of symbolism and theme and their role in a written work, it increases their interest (most of the time) and allows them to open up to viewing the world in a new light.

If you DON'T focus on symbols, what other aspects do you really focus on? When I taught A Thousand Splendid Suns we really focused on the journey of the character and several themes in the book; we didn't focus on symbols at all, because I don't really think there were many to focus on. When a book is full of symbols, how can you ignore them? Or what else do you focus on?

Symbols allow students to access and interpret a text from a new perspective. Students especially love analyzing symbols when they are rereading a text. It allows them to see the text through a new lens. I enjoy teaching selections of Harry Potter because we can look at the symbols and themes embedded in the text, and the students often go "I never thought of it like that!"

I think they are helpful, to an extent. Mind you, I speak from the point of view of a student, but I feel like comprehending symbolism & theme not only allow students to understand the meat of the story, but also make connections between various works of literature.

My personal problem with these ideas, and most figurative language techniques in general, is when teachers overemphasize them to the point where the story in question becomes more about "where's the anaphora" than "what did the author want to say". There's a fine line between using symbolism & theme as a tool to understand the whole and turning a work of literature into a string of literary devices.

 Teaching symbols and themes contribute to the story and help the students more. When I first teach a text.. i am teaching for basic understanding. Are the simply understanding what is going on in the story. Then I will dig deeper for Literary elements and more. 

Personally, I think that learning about symbols and talking about the theme of the story is relevant... but its limiting because these alwasy seem to lead into a conversation of positive or negative connotation, more like reviewing it. Also, they have become cliched in a sense that you can only think of so many, again, such as good vs evil. If you focus out of this concept, you get to see other bits that are more meaningful and give both sides of the story. Just by reading Beowulf, an easy way out to summarize the story is saying its a battle between good an evil, but if look a bit closer (in Grendel, in Grendels point of view) its not so much a set good versus bad thing because Grendel has his own necessities, which aren't evil, just natural to him.

Symbols and Themes are a must!!! Otherwise what is the point! You have to get deeper into the text, then just what the text is saying. Plus makes for a much more interesting class! 

I think the question is an interesting one. As much as some would like to say "yes," I just don't see the point in NOT teaching it. Of course, I want my students to enjoy reading and not overanalyze a book to death. But they're in lit class for a reason. Why are we there if not to help them work symbols, motifs, etc., out?

I think teaching theme opens up literature to all students. Some students are already aware that certain ideas run throughout a story. Students who have a sense of the abstract (whether via art or music or sometimes even sports) seem to be able to relate to the idea of theme. For more reluctant learners I provide a list of possible themes and ask the students to rate them on a scale of whether it "applies" or "does not apply" to the text. Then, whether they think it applies or not, I ask them to give me some sort of evidence to show what they mean. When I introduce theme I have all students, even my Pre-AP 9th Graders, begin with it in small groups. Then, once they have a bit of a grasp they are moved into pairs and then work independently. We start with theme in stories we read as a class and end up applying it to their independent reading.

I definitely think theme should be taught. It seems to come fairly easy to them, as well. Things like similes, conceits, etc.---I feel that they should be taught, but students have to understand that writers use those things to create meaning. Otherwise, if I ask a student to find a simile, that's where it ends, and that's when I think learning lit terms is useless.

I teach symbolism as a tool for students to use in order to discuss their ideas about a text.  If a student wants to tell me how House on Mango Street shows the injustice of women by using the house as a symbol for prison, then why not?  That student has found a symbol which supports a deeper concept within the text that he or she feels is justified. 

I tell students that literature is literature until we read it and find what it may mean.  Unless we are willing to look deeper and find something more, a book will never be good for anything more than propping up a table.  Without readers and a reader's experience, books are just bound paper.  So why not give them tools to use?  In literature, there is never just one right answer.