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The Middle Drawer

Symbolises temptation and choice - the drawer being slightly open showing the gun invites violence but will taking the gun is a choice. without opening the drawer, will wouldn't be faced with the choice of revenge.

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What symbol do you think is the most important one in the novel?

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THE RULES:

-It appears throughout the entire novel in a repetitive manner

The rules symbolise the "Law" in Will's Community

The rules symbolise the social expectations of African-American communities

The whole story is set around this set of rules, and provides Will with justification and the idea to seek revenge and honour his brother

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The Elevator: the elevator symbolises confinement and entrapment. the elevators confined space mirrors Will's feelings of being trapped. The physical confinement symbolises the psychological and emotional constraints that prevent Will from seeing alternatives to revenge.

it is the most important symbol because it is interpreted as a space held between life and death- a neutral ground where Will confronts the implications of grief, revenge, and the possibility of ending the cycle of violence. It's slow pace and foggy ambience reflect the heavy permanence of his internal struggle. The tight, claustrophobic setting mirrors Wills internal conflict- his grief, pressure to conform and his guilt- making the elevator a literal and metaphorical battleground for emotion and decision making.

The elevator isnt just the setting- its the entire journey of the novel, therefore it appears in the entire novel

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Symbol - The Gun

The reason why the gun is the most useful and most powerful symbol is because, it recures throughout the novel, while also playing a big part in the cycle of violence. it symbolizes, death, fear, force and a choice. It is the manifestation of the Rules.

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Falling is a important symbol in Long Way Down, as it symbolises the African American men in Will's community falling into the cycle of revenge and violence. This appears in the novel when Will rides down the elevator, encountering all the ghosts of his friends and family who have fallen into the cycle.

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YELLOW SHIRT

After Shawn's death he lies in bed wearing a yellow shirt

The colour yellow is often associated with cowardice.

The shirt and community rules that shape how boys are expected to behave reveal his vulnerability

The shirt becomes a symbol of his inner conflicts as he's grieving, scared and confused but feels like he has to hide it

Even though no one's in the room to see him cry he follows the rules, showing how deeply inbedded the rules are in his head

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The Ghosts: The ghosts are the most important symbol in the novel because, all of them teach a different lesson that are all valuable to Will. The stories of the ghost's pasts really make Will think about the consequences of his actions, especially the effect it has on him and everyone else - making him question, "are the rules really worth following?"

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the smoke is a visual representation of the past and lingering consequences of violence. it represents the suffocating cycle of violence and grief and the clouded judgement it causes.