Flowers Are More Than Flowers, Fog Is Not Just Fog

As a creative technique, symbol has a long history in literature. It plays an importantrole in Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. The thesis attempts to analyze the novelby applying symbol theory. The thesis mainly focuses on the use and the function of symbolsin the novel.The thesis consists of three chapters.Chapter one is a brief introduction to Stephen Crane and his The Red Badge of Courage,the literary reviews, symbol theory and the focus of the thesis.Chapter two presents a relatively systematic, thorough and detailed analysis of the use ofsymbols in the text. This analysis consists of four aspects----symbol in the title, symbol in thenatural setting, symbol in characters and symbol in details.Stephen Crane's use of symbols isn't accidental, but organic, deliberate and intentional.The various symbols from nature not only intensify the cruelty of natural rules but alsoforeshadow the tragic fate of main characters. At the same time, symbols from Christianity isone of the most striking and extraordinary elements in the novel. When the use of symbols isassociated with the theme, a better understanding of the social significance of the novel can beobtained.Chapter three is the function of symbols. The profuse use of symbols makes a greatcontribution to the rich content and theme. It makes the capacities and the contents of thenovel redundant. It also greatly influences Crane's characterization and provides a good wayto a better understanding of the author. Doubtless, the fact that the novel becomes so popularand influential in the world has a close connection with his abundant use of symbols.