What strategy can you use to find symbols

The strategy I would use to find symbols in stories is first to read the story two or three times, and the second time start making notes of things that are repeated more than usual, things that stand out or are very unusual.

Secondly, do research on what symbolism is in stories, why are symbols used and what are the meanings of symbols, for instance what is the meaning of a rose, what is the meaning of a cross, a flag, the moon etc.

Symbols are used by the authors to give more depth to the story, to mystify the readers, so you must try to find the hidden meaning of the symbols.

My strategy thus: read and reread, do research and draw conclusions based on your research

Look into the plot of the story and the meanigful things that affect it

Explanation:

Symbols are often presented very disguised in a literary text, so it's important that you read carefully and undrline the main ideas, look for significant objects, colors and pharses; think about how it can relate to the title of the book also look into the author's background, this might be very helpful since understanding his/her background might help you to understand the symbols in the text and their significance