Has anyone ever given serious thought to the apple, the common apple found in almost everyone’s kitchen? Until recently, neither did I. Now I think of the apple as a multifaceted symbol of Western civilization and, in particular, American culture.

The apple’s unsavory reputation began when Eve plucked one from the tree of knowledge and offered it to Adam. Alas, a single bite of that evil fruit sealed forever behind them the gate to paradise. From the very beginning, then, the humble apple has profoundly influenced the religious and ethical conduct of countless millions.

Its reputation took a turn for the better, however, when Sir Isaac Newton formulated his theory of gravitation after seeing a single apple drop from a tree. Though the apple has been blamed for the fall of man, it received no credit at all for its own fall, which glorified Newton and led to a scientific revolution.

From the time of American pioneer John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, who traversed the Ohio valley planting apple seeds, the apple has symbolized our culinary taste in desserts. We have apple dumplings, apple turnovers, apple cider, apple suckers, apple sauce, apple juice and, of course, apple pie.

Beyond its literal meaning, of course, “apple pie” has become a symbol almost as powerful as the American flag itself. Whenever we want to measure the value of anything as truly American, we say it is “as American as apple pie.”

The apple’s reputation again nose-dived during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when it became a symbol of economic desperation. Burned into our collective memory are pictures of once-proud men in shabby suits reduced to selling apples on street corners for five cents apiece. Then came World War II, and the apple was resurrected to a musical symbol of hope and faithfulness in songs like, “I’ll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time” and “Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree.”

Throughout our history the apple recurs as a symbol of something as beautiful as itself, such as the rosy-red “apple-cheeked” children we find in Renoir’s paintings. And how often do we hear that a favorite child is the “apple” of a parent’s eye?

Occasionally, however, the apple invades fairy tales and assumes a more sinister, symbolic role. In “Snow White” it hearkens back to Adam, when Snow White partakes of the poisoned apple, which puts her into a deep sleep. In this case, at least, the unfairly maligned apple was exonerated with Snow White’s awakening to love.

In years past, it was common practice to bring an apple for the teacher, either as a symbol of appreciation or to curry favor. An apple perched on a teacher’s desk is something we may still see today.

Now, as then, when children first put crayon to paper, they invariably draw red baubles hanging from scrawny trees, making the apple the inspirational symbol of their budding talents.

Foremost in recent years, the apple has become a symbol of perfect health. Peel it, cut it up in pieces for a treat that tastes good but won’t make you fat, or just sink your teeth into one, and your digestive tract and arteries will thank you. It’s no myth that an apple a day helps keep the doctor away.

Personally, I’ll never take an apple for granted again.