Symbolic Animals
Write a story or a scene involving an animal that symbolizes something else. It can represent a concept, an experience, an emotion, a historical moment, or anything else you can think of.
Herman Melville's nautical classic Moby Dick debuted in the US on November 14, 1851. As you may know, the story follows the adventures of a protagonist self-described as "Ishmael" as he sets out on the whaling ship Pequod with the obsessive Captain Ahab on a quest to exact revenge upon the albino sperm whale that bit off Ahab's leg.
The whale in the story is rich with symbolism, and its meaning varies depending on the chapter and the character describing it. To Ahab, the whale is a manifestation of evil. To Ishmael, it suggests a threatening reversal of the concept of whiteness as purity. The whale also variously represents imperialism, racial inequality, masculinity, the limitations of human understanding, and an unknownable God.
The Prompt: Write a story or a scene involving an animal that symbolizes something else. It can represent a concept, an experience, an emotion, a historical moment, or anything else you can think of.
Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below.
Jess Zafarris is the Executive Director of Marketing & Communications for Gotham Ghostwriters and the former Digital Content Director for Writer’s Digest. Her eight years of experience in digital and print content direction include such roles as editor-in-chief of HOW Design magazine and online content director of HOW and PRINT magazine, as well as writing for the Denver Business Journal, ABC News, and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. She spends much of her spare time researching curious word histories and writing about them at UselessEtymology.com. Follow her at @jesszafarris or @uselessety on Twitter.
