When reading a piece of literature, a reader often finds many symbolic objects dotted throughout the text. Some of these symbolic objects may be quite obvious to distinguish, while others may be buried deep within the text. Whether or not the symbolism of the object is apparent to the reader, the author places these objects in the story to elevate the power of the text. In Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's and Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, there are a plethora of symbolic objects that have deeper meanings than what appears on the surface. Capote and Plath, two diverse authors, fill their novels with an abundance of dynamic objects like a birdcage, a bell, a mirror, a nameless cat and a diamond, in order to develop more powerful novels.Breakfast at Tiffany's , one of Truman Capote's most famous literary works, takes an ordinary birdcage and transforms it into a symbol that highlights the fear of living a life in confinement. The birdcage is first introduced as an important symbol during the narrator and Holly's walk through Central Park. The narrator says, “Then, avoiding the zoo, we laughed, ran, sang along the paths to the old wooden boathouse, now gone” (Capote 54). Holly refuses to walk past the zoo because she can't stand looking at the cages captivated by the animals. She fears being held back by relationships or even a stable lifestyle, which the cages remind her of. She wants to live her life as a free woman, without being held back by a commitment to a person or a place. During their walk, the narrator shows Holly a birdcage he was admiring in the window of an antique store: "It was near the antique store with the palace of a birdcage in its window, so I took her there to see it, .... ... middle of paper ......property of Esther and her actions. By giving the text greater power, the diamond ultimately serves as a contract between Esther and her own life and her desire to end it at any time. Capote and Plath, through Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Bell Jar, created great works of literature using various everyday characters and objects to give greater power to their novels. Both Capote and Plath introduced their readers to the world of Holly and Esther, two very diverse characters, who surprisingly share many qualities with contemporary American women. These two literary works, written years ago, seem to foreshadow what today's society has become. By examining the ordinary objects that Capote and Plath point to as symbols, readers are led to think about their own personal objects that may hold great power in their own lives..