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LITR 4368 Literature of the Future 
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Sample answers
for Part 2:
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D'Layne Lee
Symbolism in the Garden
Eden:
an unspoiled paradise… until the perfection was tainted by human nature. Eve was
the woman, helper, mother, and door to sin into Eden. While some read this
scriptural account for religious or historical reasons, it can also be viewed as
a literary piece that contains things relevant to literature—symbolism being
one. Symbols are part of the larger context of the meaning, they are not
independent but correlate with each other as a network. They often create
images, but words themselves are symbols that convey meaning. A symbol can be as
obvious as red on a stoplight, or have a discreet meaning one might not
initially catch. These hidden symbols, though we might not realize they are
there, still work on a reader because we never stop thinking about symbols on
the unconscious level. Genesis introduces some symbolism that is key to the
apocalypse in Revelation, they appear and reappear because they are foundational
to the meaning of the stories. The more obvious ones present in the scriptures
often carry over into modern literature because the meanings are familiar to
readers and convey a message more easily grasped. Some of these symbols are so
integrated into our everyday life that we don’t readily recognize this. From
Genesis, to Revelation, to literature of today, creation and apocalypse
symbolism has been kept alive through readers.
Some symbols one might find in Genesis
range from natural things like rivers and plants, to as abstract things as
numbers. The amount of depth one could explore here is an enormous undertaking,
there is no easy way to break it up because the biblical symbolism is so
extremely embedded that the reader must look at all sixty-six books to gain a
complete understanding. The good thing, however, is that many have a basic
understanding because these symbols have also embedded themselves into our daily
lives—some terms and images have become as common as “red means stop”. Once your
eyes have been opened to the meaning behind a term or image, it is easier to
identify them in other contexts. So many concepts are conveyed through using
symbols. Authors write from what they know, their beliefs about the future often
come across in their writing and this ties back to scripture in many instances.
One of the major themes in scripture is “completeness and
achievement” by the holy Father. The way this presents itself is in the number
seven, which translates to that meaning. For example, the Bible itself was
originally divided into seven major divisions; these are the Law, the Prophets,
the Psalms, the Gospels and Acts, the General Epistles, the Epistles of Paul,
and finally Revelation (BibleStudy Tools, 2018). From beginning to end, this
exact symbol is prevalent in numerous ways. In the creation narrative, seven is
the number of days it took God to create the heavens and the earth (chapter 2).
Later in Revelation, the apocalypse narrative, seven appears over and over
again. From the seven churches to the Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes, this
number is a strong symbol.
The way this symbol is active in the lives of many people
today is the seventh day of rest/sabbath. Sundays (or sometimes Saturdays) are
often taken to recoup for the upcoming week and let the work rest while one
rests his body. This comes from Genesis when it states, “On the seventh day, God
rested” (chapter 2, verses 2-3). Even beyond this, the number seven as a symbol
appears in modern literature. For example,
Parable of the Sower utilizes the
power of this number by briefly mentioning it throughout (Butler, 1993). In the
story of a young girl growing up in an apocalyptic society, Butler conveyed the
tragedy of losing a three-year-old to a gunshot by giving a visual of the
“bullet proof” neighborhood gate—it had six bullet holes and a seventh dent.
Violence was rampant and weakening their neighborhood, and the gate was barely
holding together. They were losing the perfection of creation.
Another prevalent symbol in scripture are the trees that
make up the garden. Genesis is centered in a garden with two particularly
important trees—the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
The God given directions were that man could eat of any tree except the tree of
knowledge. When man disobeyed this command, sin entered the garden which made it
unfit for mankind to reside in. The power behind the trees is that they
represented the free will God gave to man. We could eat of His eternal life and
be whole for eternity, or eat of worldly knowledge and be brought into sin for
eternity. Thankfully, there is a redemption story in Revelation where the trees
reappear. Those who, in their hearts, live for the Lord get to eat and drink of
him (chapter 22). The river of living water and the tree of life symbolize
living forever with Christ in a holy society.
In the lives of believers, those that read the scriptures
for religious reasons, these trees are more common, but it is not usually a
nonbeliever that will speak about the tree of life. However, the symbolism of
trees in a garden meaning life or death is present in literature even if the
reader doesn’t quite catch it. For example, in the same text mentioned above,
Butler placed the setting in a garden. As God began humanity, so did this
community – fruits and vegetables were their sustenance. When evil entered their
protected community, like sin entered Eden, the entire thing was abandoned
because it was no longer fit to be their home. In the ending of
Parable the survivors plan to begin a
new garden, their own version of a safe and “holy” society like we see in the
redemption of Revelation.
It is worth noting that the name of the garden is a
symbol in and of itself. Eden means delight and pleasure, which can be seen as
carried out through the rivers that flow through it. Again with the river of
living water symbol that one can see continually throughout the scriptures,
Genesis has one river that splits into four major rivers that flow through it
and each has its own unique meaning as I found in an article by E. Swedenborg.
The first was Pishon tends to symbolize truth of faith and love, the mention of
precious stones signifies these heavenly riches and is another common symbol
(eg. Precious stones in the breastplate of the priest). The second river is
Gihon signifies the knowledge that belongs to the good and true. The third river
is Tigris, it flows eastward and represents the rational mind that comes from
the Lord. The east is an important symbol to note. The last river mentioned is
the Euphrates which is a part of the border of the promised land later in
scripture.
Ask any Christian about how they view scripture, and
their response will usually be along the lines of “the living word” or “a
flowing river”. This is because scripture is always referring to this symbol to
help readers understand what it is similar to—water. In Revelation, the most
notable use of a river is when the river of the Water of Life is flowing from
the throne of God. Before this, however, the river Euphrates is mentioned as a
place where four angels are bound, until they are released for the judgments.
Water is key in many ways throughout scripture, not to mention the physical need
for it! The necessity of it only highlights the sinners need for God and
salvation in the end times. In modern literature about the end times (narratives
of the future), a lack of water is usually a symbol of a dying world or chaos
and need. Specifically in Stone Lives,
water is lacking and people suffer because they need it. This is so powerful in
conveying a message of distress, because most everyone can grasp the simplicity
yet significance.
These are only some of the many examples of symbolism in
the garden that carry over to Revelation as well as modern literature. Scripture
is a creation/apocalypse narrative, but its symbols definitely carry over to the
evolutionary narratives. The number seven and the garden sanctuary are prevalent
in many areas of literature, but can ultimately be tied to their origin in
scripture. Symbols create networks that tie ideas and images to meanings, which
is why narratives can have such deep concepts conveyed in seemingly simple
language. People speak using symbols without even realizing it, which is why
shared language is so impactful and meaningful.
