For my first, #SymbolismSaturday, I wanted to feature a symbol that I had a lot of fun playing with while writing my thesis: the fruit. While in my thesis there were a very many fruit, today I wanted to discuss the symbol of the fruit in general terms.
While not the only way to use it, one of the most famous uses of the fruit symbol can be seen in the Bible. Stated in the book of Matthew is the famous line, “ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16 KJV). And as discussed in the academic article “Divine Judgement in Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights,” in the Bible, fruits are the symbol of man’s actions.
This usage of the fruit was prominent within my thesis. Primarily, it reflected the choices and desires of the inhabitants of the Garden. Here’s an excerpt:
My fellow humans, some alone, some in groups, were always bearing and eating a variety of fruits. These were grand fruits that would feed us potions of all kinds depending on which ones we ate. Whether it was red or blue, and which type of berry it was, made a difference and determined the fruit’s unique effects…My life, like so many others’ in the Garden, consisted mainly of blueberries and strawberries: fruits that induced passion and sexual desire—a release of inhibition. And what a release it was. In the Garden, nothing could quiet the constant moans of ecstasy that traveled with the wind.
While this is one, there are certainly other ways to use the symbol of the fruit. Can you think of any? Have you ever used fruit as a symbol in one of your works? Let’s hear it!
References:
Glum, Peter. “Divine Judgment in Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights.” The Art Bulletin 58.1 (1976)
Smeriglio, K. (2015). Hallowed be thy fall (Order No. 1604225). Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Nova Southeastern University; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1739017203). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/docview/1739017203?accountid=6579
Bosch, Hieronymus. The Garden of Earthly Delights. 1503–1515. Museo Nacional Del Prado, Spain.
