Symbolism Worksheet | PDF | Nature - Free Printable

I'll work through this symbolism worksheet step by step, analyzing each story and answering the questions.

Story 1: Miles and the Stolen Money

Let me analyze the clues:
- Miles stole $3.4 million
- He feels sick and can't believe he got away with it
- Adrenaline is rushing through him
- He's washing his hands repeatedly (scrubbing and scrubbing)
- He's worried about being discovered

1. Why is Miles washing his hands?
- Literal reason: He poured soap on his hands after stealing money
- Deeper reason: He's trying to wash away guilt and evidence of his crime

2. What could the water symbolize?
- Water often symbolizes cleansing or purification
- In this context, it represents Miles trying to "clean" himself of his guilt and crime
- It shows his attempt to wash away what he did

3. How do the clues help arrive at these answers?
- The repeated scrubbing shows desperation
- His physical reaction (feeling sick, adrenaline) shows guilt
- His worry about discovery connects to why he's washing

Story 2: Sandra, Marco, and the Tea Pot

Analyzing the situation:
- Sandra and Marco are arguing
- Marco complains about expectations at home
- Sandra is making tea while they argue
- The argument escalates until the tea pot whistles and boils
- Marco storms out when it boils

4. What could the tea pot symbolize?
- The tea pot builds up pressure as it heats
- This mirrors the building tension in their argument
- When it whistles/boils, Marco leaves - showing the "breaking point"
- It symbolizes the boiling over of anger and frustration

5. How do the clues help?
- The timing: Marco leaves exactly when it boils
- The parallel: both the pot and the argument are heating up
- The release: steam from pot = explosion of anger

6. What could "laundry" and the "oven" symbolize?
- Laundry = domestic responsibilities, daily chores, routine burdens
- Oven = another household duty, represents being trapped in domestic life
- Together they symbolize the mundane responsibilities that Marco resents

Story 3: Margot and Her Garden

Looking at the details:
- Warm, damp soil
- Margot loves planting seeds for spring
- She lists flowers: marigolds, daffodils, violets
- She waits for them to bloom in April
- She looks at her belly and smiles
- Joy fills her heart, sunshine bears down

7. What could the flowers symbolize?
- Flowers growing from seeds = new life developing
- Spring blooming = birth/new beginning
- Given she looks at her belly, the flowers likely symbolize pregnancy and the baby growing inside her

8. What could the sunshine symbolize?
- Sunshine brings warmth and helps things grow
- It represents hope, happiness, and positive energy
- In this context, it symbolizes the joy and warmth of expecting a child

9. How do the clues help?
- The connection between planting/growth and her belly
- Her smile when looking at her belly
- The word "joy" directly stated
- Spring/blooming timing suggests new life

Story 4: Xander and His Exams

Examining the elements:
- Final exams tomorrow
- Hasn't opened a book
- Chemistry textbook taunting him from pristine desk
- Clock strikes midnight
- Stress fills his chest
- Fear of summer school and angry mom
- Books glare at him
- He throws a shirt over the clock and slams the door

10. What do the books symbolize?
- They represent academic pressure and responsibility
- The "pristine" desk and "glaring" books show avoidance
- They symbolize failure, procrastination, and consequences he's avoiding
- They're personified as judgmental ("taunting," "glaring")

11. What could the clock symbolize?
- Time running out
- Pressure and deadlines
- The inevitability of consequences
- Midnight specifically = last chance, too late
- Covering it shows denial about time passing

12. How do the clues help?
- "Tomorrow" creates urgency
- "Hasn't even opened a book" shows complete avoidance
- Physical reactions (cringed, stress in chest) show anxiety
- Covering the clock = trying to ignore reality
- Slamming door = escaping the problem

Now let me compile the final answers:

Final Answer:

1. Miles is washing his hands to try to clean off evidence of the stolen money and to wash away his guilt about committing the crime.

2. The water symbolizes cleansing and purification - Miles is trying to wash away his guilt and the evidence of his crime, but like guilt, some things cannot be simply washed away.

3. The clues include Miles feeling sick, adrenaline rushing through him, and his repeated scrubbing, which all show his intense guilt and anxiety about being caught for stealing $3.4 million.

4. The tea pot symbolizes the building tension and anger in Sandra and Marco's argument. As the water heats up and pressure builds in the pot, so does the conflict between them, until it finally "boils over."

5. The clues show that Marco leaves at the exact moment the tea pot whistles and boils, creating a parallel between the pot reaching its breaking point and Marco's anger reaching its limit.

6. "Laundry" and the "oven" symbolize domestic responsibilities and household chores. They represent the everyday duties and expectations of home life that Marco feels trapped by and resents.

7. The flowers symbolize new life and growth, specifically representing Margot's pregnancy and the baby developing inside her, just as seeds grow into flowers.

8. The sunshine symbolizes hope, joy, warmth, and the positive feelings associated with new beginnings - in this case, the happiness Margot feels about expecting a child.

9. The clues include Margot looking at her belly and smiling, feeling joy in her heart, and waiting for spring blooms, which all connect the garden's growth to her pregnancy.

10. The books symbolize academic pressure, responsibility, failure, and the consequences Xander is avoiding by not studying. They represent everything he doesn't want to face.

11. The clock symbolizes time running out, deadlines, pressure, and the inevitable approach of consequences. Covering it shows Xander's denial about how little time he has left.

12. The clues include the exam being "tomorrow," Xander not having "even opened a book," his physical stress responses, and his act of covering the clock and slamming the door to escape facing reality.