Meanings of the Elements: Water
Water is a precious resource to everyone. For writers, it is a symbol that encompasses a tremendous amount of significance. With mirrors and other reflective objects, water shares several meanings. It can be used to show what the human eye cannot see, such as a character's true nature or spirits. When a character gazes into water, this represents reflection of oneself physically, emotionally and mentally. As with Lewis Carroll's character, Alice, alternate worlds can be entered through mirrors or water. The same can be said for hidden rooms; in the adventures on Tintin, hidden caves are concealed behind waterfalls. Water is a cleansing agent associated with purity. We drink and wash with water to clean our bodies. Writers often place their characters in showers or outside in the rain to demonstrate that they are cleansing themselves of a mistake or evil deed they have committed. A famous example is of Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth