Symbolism In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Harper Lee uses symbolism extensively throughout To Kill a Mockingbird,, and much of it refers to the problems of racism in the South during the early twentieth century. Harper Lee's effective use of racial symbolism and allegory can be seen by studying various examples from the book, namely the actions of the children, of the racist whites, and of Atticus Finch.

To Kill A Mockingbird was published in the summer of 1960 and it could be considered one of the greatest novels created. Harper Lee, the author of To Kill A Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman, wrote these novels because of many personal experiences influencing her. One being the Scottsboro Boys case where an African American was falsely accused of raping a white woman where he was sentenced to death. This influenced the racism and prejudice in this novel. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee created a character named Boo Radley to develop a theme in this novel. Boo, a man that was living in the shadows, thought to be a scary and harmful person but actually being very friendly, shy and innocent. In To Kill A Mockingbird,

Throughout this book, the author uses multiple techniques of symbolism to achieve a goal which is for the reader to stir up empathy for the characters. Take notice in the middle of the book, when the author mentions the main example of symbolism, which is said by Atticus while speaking to Jem. During Christmas when the Finch’s are at Finch's landing Atticus gives Jem and Scout their own air rifles. He then tells Jem, “I’d rather you shot a tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (Lee, 90) Mockingbirds are innocent and only play soothing music for people. They don’t destroy gardens, only soothe us with the music they produce. So, mockingbirds are innocent and so it’s a sin to kill them because they do not do anything wrong. In short simple words, it is a sin to kill the innocent. In the courtroom, Tom who is being accused with rape, is in the hot seat while everyone is judging him without knowing the whole story. It makes things worse when he is charged guilty. This makes the reader feel empathy for him because he is being accused

In the nineteenth century, mockingbirds were kept in cages so they could sing their beautiful music. Because of this, mockingbirds were nearly almost wiped out of parts of the East Coast. All Mockingbirds do is bring beauty to the world. Mockingbirds symbolize innocence and do not deserve to be wounded by the cruelness of the world. In the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Dill, Mayella Ewell, Mr. Dolphus Raymond, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are all mockingbirds. They are innocent people that have been harmed or injured in the past and have learned the misery of the world.

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us that is why it is a sin to kill a Mockingbird” -Harper Lee Mockingbirds are only here to sing their songs and to bring us joy. A Blue Jay is someone or something that preys on the week. Mockingbirds have to be shielded from the Blue Jays. Although Mockingbirds don't always need to be protected they do have to be protected from Blue Jays because they are gentle creatures whereas the Blue Jay is territorial and corrupt.

People always wondered what a mockingbird represents. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the narrator Jean Louise Finch lives in Maycomb, Alabama, with her brother Jeremy Finch, her dad Atticus Finch, and her mother-figure Calpurnia. She learns many lessons in her life including “You never truly understand a person until you put yourself in their shoes ” and “It is a sin to kill mockingbirds.” This ties in that a mockingbird symbolizes innocence, which proves that one should not judge someone else until they truly get to know them because one must truly know another before deeming them as evil or innocent.

Throughout the duration of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there are many instances where Lee uses symbolism to help deepen our understanding of the text. This successful novel is set to show the racism of the south in the 1930s. One of the more prominent symbols would be that of the ever so famous mockingbird. You can see examples of this throughout the novel, but more specifically when Atticus says “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (page 99) The mockingbird is the symbol of innocence. It is used to link the two main plot points in the novel, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. They are the mockingbirds because they are innocents who have been destroyed by the evil of the world. This helps to deepen the understanding by connecting the importance of their characters with the innocence of the mockingbird.

A composer uses their text to explore themes that are pertinent to the human condition to highlight their purpose and message. This concept of exploring themes becomes ignited in To Kill A Mockingbird (1960). In her text, Lee maintains the essence of society during the civil rights movement and the Great Depression. She embarks on a journey to present the consequences of a society built on bigotry, prejudice and racism through the theme of the coexistence of good and evil. Lee’s purpose is to raise awareness and make society recognize its mistreatment of others through critiquing the Southern States of America through the microcosm of Maycomb.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a book with several examples of symbolism. Although the story is seen through a child’s perspective, it includes multiple instances of symbolism, some more obvious than others. Mockingbirds, Mayella’s geraniums, and the Radley household are all big symbols in To Kill a Mockingbird.

“‘Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’” (Lee 103). Published in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird reflects life in the Jim Crow South. The novel follows the life of Scout Finch as she learns about racism in her hometown of Maycomb through her father defending a black man, Tom Robinson, in a rape case. In To Kill a Mockingbird, there is a prevalent symbol of a mockingbird. Multiple characters are compared with the songbird when they face injustice in their life; likewise, killing a mockingbird is unjust as they do nothing wrong but sing beautiful music. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson, Boo

It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird said Atticus Finch, a person in To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, who is admired for his courage to stick to his morals, no matter what people in his town say. This title shows the main reasoning and the direction of the story and that is why the title of the novel is so fitting. This novel has two main narrative strands and both have a fitting character that shows the symbolic meaning of a mockingbird, innocence and benevolence.

Atticus Finch once stated, "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” When people bring up mockingbirds, many remember all that they do is sing. Mockingbirds don't harm us in anyway. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, many characters actually symbolize the mockingbird. The mockingbird is an enormous factor in the book. To Kill a Mockingbird is a tale set in the Deep South, in Macomb Alabama during the 1930’s. The book represents a dysfunctional American society which results in extensive segregation and racial problems. As stated above, Atticus proclaimed that it was “a sin to kill a mockingbird”, as mockingbirds are gentle and always brought happiness to the world.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a book thick with symbolism and metaphors. It is a debatable fact that Scout, the female protagonist, is a symbol for innocence. Though the validity of her symbol is in doubt, I am certain that the symbol in this novel for injured faith, or broken innocence, is Boo Radley. That puts in question the reason why Boo continues to amble down the same road of apathy while Scout is being led down the path to unbiased maturity. I believe that Atticus, the father figure in the novel, is the subtle influence that raises Scout to be aware of the immoral actions around her but not to accept them. Prejudice corrupts a child’s progression of innocence to maturity, but Atticus keeps his children from assuming the attitudes of the townspeople.

When you first pick up the classic novel by Harper Lee, you may wonder how the title relates to the story. In the book mockingbirds are a symbol of innocence. It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird because, as Miss Maudie says it, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (90). So who does the mockingbird symbolize? There are four people in particular who come to mind: Tom Robinson, Arthur “Boo” Radley, and Jem and Scout Finch.

In To Kill A Mockingbird the book indicates the importance of a mockingbird. In the book the symbol of the mockingbird represents a person who is innocent and harmless, yet has been inflicted with the corruption of society's belief. An example of a mockingbird in the book is Tom Robinson. He is a black man who was convicted to rape. He was innocent and was in no way harming anyone, but society's view of him was forever changed. Even Link Deas, his boss, said he has been working with that boy for eight years and never had trouble (Lee 261) . The people of Maycomb had their judgement clouded, and this lead to his death. Not only was he actually killed, he was metaphorically killed by the people of Maycomb. His reputation was twisted into lies,