This community is a place where fans can discuss Meta aspects of the MTV Show Teen Wolf.
Basic symbolism primer - the beginner symbols in Teen Wolf
Rather than explain each one individually showing how each symbol arrived at its final destination [so much work really] I'm going to list them as a primer so you can work it out for yourselves what things mean SYMBOLICALLY
Colours
In teen wolf there are five main symbolic colours, these are associated with godai (I'll explain that in a moment)
Red - Blue - White - Black - Gold each of these represents an element, and those elements have a symbolic meaning that is unique to teen wolf.
Red = Fire = Empowerment Blue = Water = Damnation White = Air = Concealment, secrets Gold = Earth = Revelation, Black = Void = Corruption
these colours are combined to create secondary colours which are the combination of the elements so green = blue + yellow = damnation + revelation = the person wearing green will tell a secret that will undermine the structure of something
Grey = black + white = void + air = corruption + concealment = the person wearing grey is keeping a secret or is in themselves a secret
plaid = caging, the layers of colour are holding something back
stripes = possession
florals = blooming, so for example when Lydia wears a red dress covered in white and yellow flowers in 5a she comes into her own power as a banshee, reveals secrets from the dread doctors and does so in private
Jewel Tones and Earth tones
Jewel tones are colours that are bright and earth tones are faded colours (technical terms) A Jewel tone represents the colours as it is, meaning the symbolism is stark an earth tone represents the symbolism being muddy, as it were
so possessed Stiles wears muted greys and golds [not black strangely] so we see black+white (mostly white) and gold but they symbols are twisted. So Void + concealment = perfect for a possession but with gold stripes = revelation, but the grey is overwhelming the gold, so revelation is happening because of the possession= this means you can take it that the powers that Stiles manifested whilst possessed were his own, not the possessors.
Basic symbolism most symbols are linked to character, this means they are shown with them most often
Scott = Shadow = or more specifically light and dark shadows represent exactly what you think, a character shown growing more and more into shadow is shown going dark side, Scott is often lit from behind, often with cold blue light, and we know now what blue means. In some scenes he is lit in blue and Liam, for example in 5b, is lit in gold.
Stiles = Doorways and transitionary spaces Doorways represent movement, change, stepping from one state into the next, closed doors hinder that movement, but Stiles is seen most often unlocking doors (often without a key suggesting he IS the key) he is seen a lot with keys as well.
Lydia = Mirrors Self reflection and empowerment, a broken mirror however shows an inevitable fracturing of the self
Allison = Windows like doors windows can be transitionary but most often show a character with a restricted POV, they can see out but there are walls in the way
Derek = Stairs Stairs represent sex, a person climbing the stairs to meet another person is seen to be going towards climax, descending the stairs is rejecting sex and intimacy, the more active the ascent/descent the more violent the sexual act. Derek is often seen jumping down staircases and descending several at a time. He throws Peter into the staircase at one point and buries him at the bottom of the stairs. There is a strong symbolic argument that Peter sexually abused Derek but there is no concrete evidence for it in canon.
Peter = Thrones beautifully self explanatory, Peter is often shown sitting, he drapes himself over every piece of furniture going, he is almost always sat down and his symbolism is the throne and this symbolises a rise in power, obviously the better the chair the better the rise, but this fits his "I was always an alpha" statement
Sheriff = Shields The sheriff's badge is his symbol and it presents both protection and the inability to progress, he must reject his shield in order to truly accept what's going on
Butterflies often we see butterflies as a precursor to death, Lydia has butterflies in her room when she first has a vision as a banshee, Allison has butterflies in her room in 3b, Tracy has a shadowbox of butterflies revealed in the episode where she dies in 5a.



