- 1). Define liberty. Consider various meanings of liberty. Differentiate between political liberty and personal liberty. Explicitly state your chosen meaning.
- 2). Differentiate between positive and negative liberty. Remember that negative liberty is the absence of barriers to action or thought, while positive liberty suggests the freedom to act.
- 3). Move beyond the standard Liberty Bell and Statue of Liberty to find a new image that evokes your definition. For example, the University of Michigan Symbolism Project suggests that shoes sometimes represent liberty because slaves were denied them.
- 4). Consider the context of your symbol. Evaluate how it will be used and who will be interpreting it. Remember that common knowledge is essential to the effectiveness of your symbol. For example, if berries represent liberty to you because of a story you grew up with, they will not evoke the same idea in people unfamiliar with the story. However, a tree used as a rallying point in a revolution might symbolize liberty to that group.
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