what does these symbols mean? (based from A Midsummer Night's Dream)?

Question

Day/Night
Dreams
Daybreak

Thank youuuuuuuuuu!

Answer 1

Just google it!

Answer 2

All of these symbols are extremely common in literature, let alone most other forms of expression. Day and Night, when put side by side can be a form of yin and yang, positive and negative, good and evil, male and female. Night is described as a "temptress" in many books, including The Trial by Kafka and Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. I'm not sure that dreams themselves are a symbol of anything other than an escape from reality. Daydreams are due to a lack of concentration, dreams at night are usually signs of a deep and healthy sleep. Like I said before, though, dreams are used as an escape. Characters often fantasize about something they could never know or something that will never happen. Holden from Catcher in the Rye dreams of protecting children from falling off cliffs (arguably a metaphor for losing their sanity?). Dreams in literature are irrational, a sign of someone with a weak connection to reality. Daybreak is a new beginning, a fresh start. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie comes back to her town in the morning; a new beginning for her and the universe.

Because these symbols are so often used, each author (or artist) may tweak the conventional symbolism to aid their style. You have to watch out for authors like Flannery O'Connor, who purposefully use the opposite of what symbols usually mean.

Hope this helps!

Elise