Writers are constantly considering symbolism in their writing. Games have always played an interesting role in fiction.
A lot of us have read books with an intense poker match or a quiet game of chess. Games are rarely just filler in storytelling. More often, they act as symbols that may add layers to the narrative or be open to interpretation.
People might think of Lewis Carroll’s writing and his twisted view of some older games. Digital gaming has even entered into the thinking of authors and we see certain books addressing technology and gaming in this way. Ready Player One is an example of a book that focuses on gaming and the way technology could change in the future.
What Gambling Games Might Symbolize
Casino games and gambling games come to mind. These historic games all bring a certain feeling with them. When writers include these kinds of games in their stories, it’s often about more than flashing lights or chips piled high. Casino games tend to represent chance and the randomness of life. A spin of a wheel or a shuffle of cards becomes a metaphor for unpredictability.
Characters focusing on luck might be reflecting other aspects of their life.
Baccarat is a game that has been included in books such as Casino Royale and many people are interested in the game due to the fact that it involves chance much more than any level of strategy. The game has a long history but has now gone online and while some books will take their readers to the casino floor this is not the only option. Characters may play online baccarat in the same way that they can play other games on their devices. A modern book may have more of a modern twist. Through the imagery of cards and the felt table that people are familiar with it is possible for the game’s history to also be tapped into by authors.
Roulette is also rich with meaning. A small white ball bouncing across numbers becomes a symbol of how decisions can be reduced to luck. Some characters stare at the spinning wheel like it holds their future. Perhaps the character is uncertain about something else that is going to happen in the narrative.
Then there’s poker. Often used in stories to show power dynamics – these scenes aren’t just about the cards. They’re about reading people and making bold moves without revealing too much. Fictional poker games often become quiet battlegrounds. A simple hand can show a character’s bluffing skills or how controlled they are.
Chess – Sophistication and Strategy
Chess appears in fiction just as often as other games although with a very different feel. It’s a game of order and structure, of strategy and patience. When authors choose chess, it’s often to show intellectual rivalry or even the long game a character might be playing. Sometimes it’s used to reflect a plot itself as every move on the board mirrors a twist in the story. The careful planning required is key to the symbolism.
Chess has appeared in countless stories. Nabokov was famously obsessed with chess, and you can see that influence in his writing. Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass also plays with chess as both theme and structure as he turned the story into a metaphorical game. The idea of life as a chessboard carries a lot of weight and Carroll repeatedly turned to this in his writing.
Sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov (of Asimov’s Law) was also known to use chess as symbolism in his books. In a 1941 short story, he wrote: “The men about the table had brought out a multi-chess board and started a six-member game. Moves were made rapidly and in silence. All eyes bent in furious concentration on the board.”
Video Games and Board Games
Board games and card games are often used in domestic settings. Writers sometimes use these as tools to reveal relationships. A competitive board game during a family dinner can say more than dialogue ever could. It might show jealousy or simply how people interact under pressure. The rules of the game reflect the rules of the household. Who cheats? Who follows the rules? Who throws the board when they lose?
Video games have started making their way into modern fiction too. They often symbolize escapism or disconnection. A character who retreats into a game world might be avoiding something real. The virtual landscape might be used to explore identity, especially in stories where characters interact in alternate realities.
Ready Player One is a top example of video games being used in fiction and the lines of what is real and what is all within a game become blurred in this work of fiction that has even been turned into a modern movie. It isn’t just for gamers – it stands up as a work of fiction even for those who have never played a game.
Games are part of life. It makes sense that they are used throughout fiction. But how many of us have considered exactly what is being symbolized?
