Symbolism Thesaurus: Unity

Every day we interact with objects, places and sensations that affect the way we think and feel. This can be used to the writer's advantage by planting symbols in the reader's path to reinforce a specific message, feeling or idea.

Look at the setting and the character's state of mind, and then think about what you want the reader to see. Is there a descriptive symbol or two that works naturally within the scene to help foreshadow an event or theme, or create insight into the character's emotional plight?

In Nature:

A stand of trees
Animals crowding together in a storm
Animal herds
A pack hunting prey

Bird migrations
Animal migrations
Duck formations
Flocks grouping on the water (seagulls, geese, etc)
Schools of fish
Hornet's nest
Ecosystems
Ant or termite hills
Tadpole schools
Wolf howls
Cricket song
The horizon
Aboriginal tribes
A spider's web
A pod of dolphins
A herd protecting the group's young
A lattice of Vines
Stems/trunks growing together/twisting around each other to strengthen
A wall of black cloud
Rain deluge
Impassible jungle
Mountain range
Streams converging
Bee swarm

In Society:

Marriage
Family
Church/religion
Charitable organizations

Political parties
Human chain
People standing shoulder to shoulder
Protests
A list of signatures
Scientific community
Rallies, gatherings, BBQ, parties
Country, province, state flags
United Nations
Team Colors
Peace symbol
The wheel
Circles
Causes (Aids, Cancer research, run for the cure, etc)
Corporation/place of business
A mother or father holding her/his children's hands
Goal-focused classes (learning yoga, fitness, university students striving for the same degree, Ticket or accreditation)
Professional organizations
Neighborhood/Community
Education
A city or town
A province or state
A seven-point star
Yin-yang
Chain links
Woven fabric
The round table
Paper doll chain
A complete puzzle
Groups/clubs with common beliefs, ideas, interests
A row of books on a shelf
A display cabinet featuring like-objects
Cheering crowds, team supporters, fans
A harbour of sailing boats

These are just a few examples of things one might associate with Unity. Some are more powerful than others. A human chain is a strong symbol, and likely will not require reinforcement. However, the howls of a pack of wolves may not foreshadow unity on its own. Let the story's tone decide if one strong symbol or several smaller ones work the best.