A Society of Symbolism

Symbolism, a term used by society to describe the iconic representation of it's various themes, lessons and ideas. Symbolism causes emotions we may observe, experience, and use in our everyday lives. Much like a metaphor, a symbol can contain many meanings at the same time, and more often than not, it holds it's meaning within meaning. For example, the iconic glass slipper in Cinderella represents long lasting beauty and purity of the heart possessed by its owner not only on the outside but on the inside as well. Also the glass slipper represents Cinderella's uniqueness, because it fits only her foot and no others. A lesson that can be learned from Cinderella's story is the true value of an individual cannot be determined by their station or appearance.
A story its self can be symbolic, the Legend of Hercules, the Roman name for the Greek Heracles, represents the journey to manhood as Hercules learns of his father’s identity and his quest to rejoin him on Mount Olympus. Instead of using fame and glory to help him return to the home of the gods, Hercules learns that being a true hero has less to do with impressing the masses and compromising your character for vanity and more to do with listening to your conscience, following your heart and living up to your own standards not someone else's.