One of my favorite movies is Jojo Rabbit.

Amidst the dull, monochrome setting of World War 2 Germany, Jojo’s mother wears light blue dresses and pink lipstick. She is the most colorful character in the entire movie. More than anything, the story highlights her bright red shoes.

The story uses those shoes like an emotional lighthouse. Each time you see them, you’re reminded that the mother is vibrant, loving, and unafraid to stand out in a world full of conformity.

Later, Jojo’s mother is hanged by the gestapo.

The camera centers on Jojo and those shoes, mimicking the image from earlier. In this one image, we feel Jojo’s world collapse. Something as simple as a pair of shoes has become a devastating symbol of a child’s loss and a mother’s bravery.

The point of the shoes is never explicitly stated. No character goes, “Ma’am, your red shoes remind me of what is good in this world.” They don’t have to.

I think this is what so much symbolism analysis overlooks. The most powerful symbols affect us because they first affect the characters. It’s not about theme. It’s not about making a statement to the world. It’s about the weight of the symbol to the character. If they carry weight for them, they carry weight for us, and all that other stuff follows.

To Jojo, those shoes represent everything wonderful about his mother. So, they come to mean that for us, too. Then the film doesn’t just show us his grief. In that one image, it traps us in it.

This technique isn’t just powerful in film. It’s the key to making your writing land, too. When I write, my instinct is often to go bigger, especially with huge emotions like grief and love and longing. But a single, carefully chosen detail can anchor an entire story.

With symbols, go specific. Some examples…

Joan Didion and the Empty Apartment:

After losing her husband, Didion returns to their apartment for the first time alone.

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gatsby’s Green Light:

For Gatsby, the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock is a symbol of longing, of dreams just out of reach.

Suzanne Collins and the Mockingjay:

Here, Collins condenses so many potential symbols into one.

How to Spot Potential Symbols in Your Stories

Here’s a quick process for finding potential symbols that’s helped me:

1. Pick One Telling Detail: Instead of describing everything, choose a single image that captures the emotional core of your scene / story.

2. Use Contrast: Set that detail against a dull, oppressive, or chaotic background to amplify its impact. Basically, set the detail against its opposite.

3. Link to Theme: Ask, “Why this detail?” If it connects to a larger theme – hope, loss, defiance – it’ll resonate more deeply.

4. Seed It Early: Introduce your detail early so when it reappears later, it lands with emotional weight instead of feeling random. Read more: Chekhov’s Gun.

This is how you can organically build symbols into your stories. You don’t need to force them. Pay attention to what already exists. What’s important to your characters? How can you pull that out even farther?

In a story, it’s the smallest details that carry the weight. A single pair of red shoes can break your heart.

Have an awesome weekend,

Nathan

PS.

On March 12th, I’m launching Storytelling: Zero to One (V2) — A self-paced course that trains you in:

• The 4 × 4 Storytelling Structure

• Story Banks & Minimum Viable Stories

• First Drafts (Defeat the Blank Page)

• Hooks, Loops, & 11 Other Rhetorical Devices to Bring Your Story to Life

• 2 Key Personal Stories

• World Building & Narrative

• Distribution (Get Your Story Seen)

I’m pumped to get this back into the world. If you’re curious, verify your interest by clicking here. I’m cooking up a few bonuses only available to the waitlist.

Nathan’s Notes

1. I hired an editor for my fantasy novel. It was a… tough process to find the right person and will cost ~$5k. Here’s more if you’re curious:

2. Great recommendations for short reads in this thread:

3. My friend Wes Kao included both copywriting and fiction writing in this excellent essay.

Trivia — A Sentence I Wish I Wrote

Which non-fiction novel gave us these wonderful lines?

Thank ya for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.