A widely used literary term that typically portrays a particular theme in a novel is the symbol. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Ian Serrailier’s Escape from Warsaw. This historical fiction is a great example of the use of literary terms in literature. One of the main themes demonstrated is the theme of hope. He uses a silver sword to demonstrate this in three ways. One is when Jan and Joseph talk in …showed first 75 words of 440 total…

…showed last 75 words of 440 total…box. Through the examples of the swords’ bringing hope to the family by reuniting them, getting them through hard times, and starting a 3 year search, the sword represents well, a small amount of hope that is brought to a happy reality. People have many “symbols” today that represent their struggles. Many keep items kept in bad accidents just to remind them how lucky they were. Just about everyone has something that represents their own story.