Symbolism In To Kill A Mockingbird

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,

Someone once said “No matter your social status or how powerful you think you are, we are all equal.” The quote has much to do with the racism and segregation that people went through while living in America, especially in the South. It still is a relevant quote today, seeing as how racism and segregation has not ended, but increased over the decades. In Harper Lee’s classic, To Kill A Mockingbird, the small town of Maycomb, Alabama consists of plenty of racism and segregation. When Atticus is obligated to defend the man accused of rape, the whole town is hoping for him to prove his client is guilty. They’re quick to make a judgement about him, solely because he’s a black man. In this novel, several craft moves/techniques are used which then

The word “courage” has many definitions. Some people say that courage is being able to face one's own fears, while others say that courage is a person with a strong heart. Harper Lee exhibits true courage as standing up for what one believes in even when it signifies imperilling something precious.

Think of the saying, “you are the apple of my eye”. Most of today’s society understands that somebody is referring to someone that they cherish above all else. This phrase is a common metaphor that is used all around the world. Many times authors use a metaphor to convey a message without telling it right out to the reader. This technique is used by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The title of the novel refers to persecution of the innocent which is highlighted by showcasing Arthur Radley as the mockingbird of the story, and the oppression of refugees relates this metaphor to today’s society.

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.

To Kill A Mockingbird is a book that a reader can turn again and again, gaining new insights and knowledge into life each time. Sometimes an author uses a motif- a frequently repeated incident or idea -to get a certain theme across to the reader. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Lee uses motifs to clarify her messages or insights about life. Three specific motifs that Lee uses throughout the whole story are the mockingbird, courage, and walking in someone else's shoes.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a multi-faceted novel which explores the principles and morals of people in the South during the 1930s. Mockingbirds are symbolic of the people that society abuse. Lee narrates the events of the novel using Scout’s voice and uses this technique to add emotional context and develop themes. Themes of racial and classist prejudice are developed by Lee to challenge the reader. These techniques are all powerful ways to alter the views of the reader.

The mockingbird metaphor applies to several characters in the book. One particular character that may not be as obvious to some people is Jem Finch. In Jem’s case, he starts out as a young boy full of innocence. As he grows up his father, Atticus, teaches him to judge an individual based on their character instead of how society teaches us to treat people; as well as, do what is right. Atticus reinforces this belief when he says, “They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got

It's a sin to kill a mockingbird because they don't do anything to hurt people; they only help farmers out and sing beautiful songs. To Kill a Mockingbird is about a little girl named Scout who sees her town as a beautiful place where nothing unpleasant happens until accusations of rape occur. Then she realizes how racist and negative her town people can be. This occurs when her dad defends an innocent African American man. She realizes that Macomb has deplorable individuals living there, and this reality hit her hard. Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley are metaphorically portrayed as mockingbirds.

Mockingbirds are only here to sing their songs and to bring us joy. A Mockingbird is innocent, without fault and only here to help. “To kill a Mockingbird is a sin.”(119) This is because a Mockingbird is an animal that doesn’t cause harm and has proved to only have a pure heart. Tom Robinson is the predominant Mockingbird. “Tom’s death was like the senseless killing of songbirds.”(241) Since another word for mockingbird is a songbird, this quote is telling us that Tom is like a Mockingbird and that his death wasn’t supposed to happen. The unexpected Mockingbird is Boo Radley. “Atticus looked like he needed cheering up I ran to him and said ‘yes sir, I understand Mr. Tate was right’ he looked at me and said ‘what do you mean’ well it’d sort of be like shooting a Mockingbird.”(318) Clearly Scout is saying that if Maycome were to find out that Boo killed Bob it would probably kill him because Boo delights in being alone. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are the representation of the Mockingbird.

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.

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.

Near the beginning of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Atticus tells Scout that she should try to put herself into someone else’s skin and walk around in them(65). Scout attempts to do that throughout the book, and finally, in the end, she gets it. This is how I perceive what this series of metaphors mean.

Many Critics have taken the Critical Analysis approach when tackling To Kill a Mockingbird, and have found many imperfections with the novel. A critical analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee reveals that racism leads to social injustice in the South. To Kill a Mockingbird is primarily a novel about growing up in extraordinary circumstances in the 1930’s in the Southern United States. The story is spread out over three years, which most of the main characters go through dramatic changes in their selves.