Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

The Chocolate Factory

The chocolate factory is the physical embodiment of the difference between poverty and wealth. Charlie’s poverty-stricken home stands in the shadow of the behemoth chocolate factory, which is filled with untold riches. The chocolate factory also represents the idea that things cannot be fairly judged from an outside perspective. It seems enormous from the outside, but its true glories lie below ground, where they cannot be seen without a closer look.

The Golden Ticket

Like the chocolate factory, the golden ticket is a physical manifestation of the difference between poverty and wealth. Finding the golden ticket allows Charlie to live his dream. As its name indicates, the golden ticket is made entirely of gold. It is the most valuable thing Charlie has ever touched. But it also represents a leveling of the playing field between the rich and the poor. Charlie has just as much chance as anyone else to find a ticket. The ticket represents hope.

The Glass Elevator

For Charlie, the great glass elevator represents his future. The elevator allows Charlie to see the world laid out before him. But before Charlie can reach that point of clarity, he must trust the elevator and remain willing to ride on through all of the turbulence and frightening times. Once Charlie can accept uncertainty as part of his future, the elevator takes him to the place where his future is at hand. Once there, Charlie must be brave enough to stand on uncertain ground and seize his own fortune.

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