Symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird

Symbolism is a device used to represent additional meanings in a seemingly unimportant object within a novel. Harper Lee uses symbolic meanings throughout her novel. Adding symbols to a book is very important in the overall development o a novel! Symbolism is created in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird with characters! objects! and setting. Atticus! Tom "obinson! and #oo "adley are all characters who possess symbolism. $%ou never really understand a person until you consider things rom his point o view & until you climb into his skin and walk around it' (Lee )*+. Atticus represents the desire or e,uality because he believes that a person cannot be judged due to their looks. Atticus also represents how all people should act unprejudiced and nonbiased. Harper Lee uses Tom "obinson as a symbol o innocence! and also the beginning o Maycomb -ounty seeing that racism is wrong and striving or e,uality. The citi.ens o Maycomb notice the aults in the trial o Tom "obinson that points to his innocence. #oo "adley symboli.es prejudice because he is misconcepted rom all the rumors! and he is also pre/judged by the children o Maycomb -ounty. 0n the novel To Kill a Mockingbird! it includes symbolism such as the blue jays! mockingbirds! the ire! the blanket! tree roots! red geraniums! and the cement in the "adley tree. $%ou can shoot at blue jays all you want! but remember it1s a sin to kill a mockingbird' (Lee 23+. Harper Lee uses blue jays as a symbol to represent the racism within Maycomb -ounty. These supremacist include #ob 4well! Mr. 5nderwood! and 6race Merriweather .The author incorporates the imagery o the mockingbird to

Symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird

symboli.e the destruction o innocence. Mockingbirds can represent #oo "adley! Mayella 4well! Tom "obinson! and Atticus. The ire melted the snow away rom the snowman leaving only mud8 there ore! the ire represents the racist people who live in Maycomb -ounty! saying that whites and blacks are not the same. 4ven though! everybody is the same underneath their skin. $#oo "adley. %ou were so busy looking at the ire you didn1t know it when he put the blanket around you.' (Lee 97+The blanket is used to oreshadow the moment o #oo "adley protecting the kids rom danger. Harper Lee e:plains that the "adleys tree roots are spreading out and disturbing the road which symboli.es #oo "adley reaching out to the community such as ;em! <ill! and Scout. $Against the ence! in a line! were si: chipped/enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums! cared or as tenderly as i they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson. =eople said they were Mayellas 4well1s.' (Lee 7>2+. Mayella 4well1s red geraniums represent her desire or a better li e. Mayella is considered white trash and she wishes to be out o that socioeconomic class. $?hen we passed our tree he gave it a meditative pat on its cement! and remained deep in though.' (Lee >*+ Harper Lee uses the cemented hole in the "adley tree to symboli.e that people have holes in their li e that can be i:ed8 they just have to be willing to make e ort to i: it. Such as the hole in Mr. "adley which was #oo "adleys communication with ;em and Scout. Miss Maudie1s house burning down! Maycomb -ounty! and the "adley =lace are all settings that include symbolism. $?e stood watching the street ill with men and cars while ire silently devoured Miss Maudie1s house.' (Lee >9+ Miss Maudie1s house burning down represents the coming together o the town be ore it is splintered by the

Symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird

trial8 due to di erent opinions about Tom "obinson1s case. The author incorporates Maycomb -ounty to symboli.e racism and prejudice due to the citi.ens1 bias opinion. The county is set as a typical southern town illed people with di erent belie s! but majority are racist towards other minorities. $The house was low! was once white with a deep ront porch and green shutters! but had long ago darkened to the color o the slate/ gray yard around it.' (Lee 3+ The "adley =lace has a slate/gray tent which represents the con usion centered on the rumors o #oo "adley. 6ray is consider a color o con usion and the citi.ens o Maycomb -ounty has plenty o rumors about #oo "adleys li e style! what he does! and what he looks like. 0n conclusion! symbolism in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird includes characters! objects! and setting. Harper Lee incorporates numerous symbolic meanings. The symbols the author used were ully thought out and each one can be interpreted in million o ways. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is astounding piece that will be read generations to come.