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What Does The Train Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

Decent Essays

On the way home to Maycomb, Jean Louise boards a train and comments that “she was glad she had decided to go by train. Trains had changed since her childhood, and the novelty of the experience amused her” (4). In this case, not only are trains a symbol of changing times, they are also metaphorically symbolic of the set paths that people will take through their life. In addition, trains only run on already laid railroads, further implying that people have the tendency to follow and maintain their beliefs and ideologies during their lives.

Another example is seen through the presence of cars. Throughout the novel, Jean Louise expresses annoyance with cars. “ When she was getting in the car she bumped her head hard against its top. “Damnation!

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