Teaching Literary Terms through Games

Bioshock: Infinite, the latest game from Ken Levine and the creative team at Irrational Games, has redefined a seemingly stale video game genre.  Amassing numerous awards before its release, Infinite has received positive public and critical praise after its release for its striking visuals, innovative game play, and engaging narrative.  In my time with the game, however, I found so much more.

While teaching literary terms like metaphor and symbolism is necessary in any English classroom, getting students to remember and apply those terms is sometimes difficult.  When I review these kinds of terms in class, I am usually met with eye rolls and deep sighs, but when test time comes my students sometimes miss the boat.  Video games are another avenue to explore when teaching these types of literary terms. 

In one of the opening sequences of Bioshock: Infinite, the player character finds himself walking down a path of knee high water to a group of citizens waiting to be baptized.  As the player character emerges from behind, it is striking to see the visual metaphor at work. 

Water, in this sequence, is symbolic of rebirth and life.  The player character wades through this water before he can enter the glowing city of Columbia.    Taking on the role of the player character, players are drawn to believe that they too are being reborn and emerging into this new world. 

Another example of the symbolism that emerges in the game can be seen shortly after rescuing Elizabeth from her ominous tower.  Once rescued, she provides you with a choice: choose which necklace she should wear during the game. 

Choosing either the cage or the bird for Elizabeth to wear has significant meaning for the rest of the game.  Each pendant is symbolic of a different stage of development for Elizabeth that is revealed at the end of the game. 

While these are only two examples of how visual metaphor and symbolism can be taught using video games, and this is certainly only one game that can be explored, many video games use similar visual metaphors and symbolism to carry players through their narratives.  Much like in traditional literature where metaphor and symbolism are important for readers to reach the meaning behind the words, game writers and designers want the player to experience the same depth behind their words. 

For more information about using video games in the classroom, stay tuned to www.teachingtolead.blogspot.com