Symbolism of Doors and Windows in Modern Literature

If you have ever read a book that referred to windows and doors on a regular basis, you most likely did not realize that you were reading a work that used a common piece of symbolism. Windows and doors have been used by writers to discuss personal issues of characters for over a hundred years.

Emile Bronte popularized the technique in her famous book, Wuthering Heights. Since then, the technique has been used by hundreds of authors including Stephen King, Robert Bloch, H.P. Lovecraft, and even Dan Brown.

If someone looks through a window, that person will only receive a narrow view of the outside world. That view will only go as far as the person can see out the window. Everything to the left and right or above and below the window will be out of view.

Also, there is a separation between the viewer and the outside world. The window has glass so the person is left as a spectator, not as someone who actually has any kind of involvement with the world.

People who look through windows in books are showing that they have a narrow view, and are standoffish. These people will watch the world go by from their window, but not do anything about it.

People who are scared to look out the window are people that do not want to know what is going on in the world around them. Even though they are still protected by the glass, they are still worried that the world will be too shocking to behold.

Sometimes, these people will open the window just to holler out. These are the ones that believe that they have a say in the world that they are not truly a part of.

A doorway has a narrow view of the world, but a person can walk through the doorway. The doorway is their opportunity to actually make a difference in the world. People who are more willing to make a difference in the world have an easier time walking through the doorway then others.

Characters in stories that are too scared to walk through a door are also scared about what the world might do to them. They would rather keep that doorway as their shell from the rest of the world.

The next time you read a story that has a lot of references, or strong references to windows and doors, remember this article. You might learn more about the chacter then you ever thought was possible.