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How Does Harper Lee Use Symbols In To Kill A Mockingbird

1200 Words5 Pages

In every book there is a symbolic meaning that the author wants to share with the readers. Whether they be positive or negative themes, authors always attempt to convey their message through symbols or events. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee presents her ideas based on her experiences growing up in the Great Depression, in a way that easily associates with the reader. Through the uses of symbolic objects and events, Harper Lee develops a deeper significance for the themes of the novel in a powerful and dynamic way. Harper Lee, writer of To Kill a Mockingbird, uses the Radley Place as a symbol of prejudice. Their home is known to be mysterious, creepy, and haunted, “Inside the house lived a malevolent Phantom. People said he …show more content…

The reader is able to see Atticus’ extreme courage. “The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk in a brown-and-white heap. He didn’t know what hit him” (127). This quote demonstrates Atticus’ courage by killing the dog. Although Atticus did not want to be responsible for shooting an animal, he knew that by doing so, he would keep the neighborhood safe and out of danger. The mad dog lost his mind and was unable to think straight. “...what remained of his poor mind made him pause and seem to consider which road he would take”(Lee 126). The rabid dog represents those who blindly follow a certain belief. Just as Tim Johnson could not think properly, there are people in Maycomb who will follow others’ ways by being prejudice without reason. Jem can also be compared to the mad dog by his actions. “At the time, however, I thought the only explanation for what he did was that for a few minutes he simply went mad” (Lee 136). Harper Lee uses this crisis with the rabid dog to foreshadow Jem’s upcoming outburst taken upon Mrs. Dubose. This quote demonstrates that there was no reasoning behind Tim Johnson or Jem’s dangerous actions. They simply lost their heads for a mere lapse of time. Throughout this passage, Harper Lee uses symbolism as a way to connect this event to the crises that will later form in Maycomb relating to

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What Does Tom Johnson Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

576 Words | 3 Pages

The mad dog represents Tom Robinson because of the inevitability of their respective circumstances and their respective fates. Ironically, in Tom Robinson’s case, Atticus is trying to prevent him from being shot, while in Tim Johnson’s circumstances, Atticus is the one trying to shoot the dog. With both Tim Johnson

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To Kill A Mockingbird Coming Of Age Quotes

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The town’s sheriff, Heck Tate, is called to kill the dog. Even the town’s sheriff asked Atticus, who the town would describe as “...civilized in his heart,” to shoot the mad dog. Atticus is very clear that he doesn’t want to do it when he says, “don’t waste time, Heck,” after Mr. Tate hands him the rifle. The main reason that Atticus was so hesitant about killing the dog was that he didn’t want Jem and Scout to believe, “...that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.” In many ways, the mad dog in this chapter symbolizes racism in the community.

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1876 Words | 8 Pages

Atticus, while aware of his shooting capability, is aware of the care and thought required towards something that can not “save itself”. I think that the mad dog symbolizes the “madness” of the racist community that the people of Maycomb are surrounded by. By including the mad dog, Lee conveys the message that Atticus will do what he must to protect those he loves. This instance is analogous to the situation faced by Atticus’ family when he must defend Tom Robinson. Like the mad dog, Robinson is a black man, who is helpless against the "rifles of prejudice carried by many white people in

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To Kill a Mockingbird symbol assignment The idea that the characters in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, have a fear of non-conformity show that their prejudice morals affect them in their daily life. My symbol, I have chosen to create a basket of apples, four red and one green. This shows difference in society, how although everyone is human, they all have unique traits. This shows the theme, fear of non-conformity, as many of the characters in the novel act in a way to ensure they are fitting in within society, and not associating with people that they feel do not follow social rules. Examples of this include Aunt Alexandra wanting Scout to dress and act like a young lady, Boo Radley staying inside his house because of what society

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Examples Of Alliteration In To Kill A Mockingbird

248 Words | 1 Pages

Alliteration- the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. “...Miss Rachel’s cook’s son" ( To Kill a Mockingbird 100). I think that Lee put this in, to show that Scout did not want to go to school at all. Personification- Giving human characteristics to nonhuman objects.

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Atticus Kill A Mad Dog In Tkam By Harper Lee

217 Words | 1 Pages

In Tkam (to kill a mockingbird) the author Harper Lee killed a mad dog. The mad dog can ve symbolized as many different things. Killing the dog can be used as killing racism, ignorance, discrimination, and many more. When Atticus killed the dog in the story i expected as him trying to kill many problems he faced throughout his life. When Atticus killed the mad crazy dog he also showed his kids that he wasn 't afraid of anything and that he could accomplish anything he set his mind to.

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To Kill a Mockingbird Essay In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” there were many heartbreaking and confusing events. This book took place in Alabama during the great depression of the 1930s. Harper Lee exemplifies many phases of courage. Lee demonstrates many diverse characters defining their courage throughout the book.

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He did this despite knowing everyone would dislike him honestly defending Tom in the trial. Atticus defies the social order in Maycomb and defends what is right. Atticus believes that all people are equal, despite race, gender, or age, in contrast to most

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1131 Words | 5 Pages

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses characterization, symbolism, and irony to express the cloud in judgment prejudice causes when examining the morals of others. Scout is able to understand more about the town folk in Maycomb County through studying her teacher’s ironic and corrupted views of life around her. Lee uses Miss Gates, Scout’s teacher, to allow Scout a chance to understand the complexity of the adult world. While teaching the class about the Holocaust, Gates expresses the injustice being done to the Jews. She teaches the children that the town does not “believe in persecuting anybody” (Lee 329) because of the U.S. democratic government.

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425 Words | 2 Pages

There are several symbols in the book To Kill a Mockingbird, but one symbol that stands out the most is the mockingbird. The mockingbird is considered a symbol for a number of reasons. One reason is by hurting the innocent whether it be killing them or accusing them of something they never did. Mockingbirds are birds that do no harm to their community and yet they still get killed. Atticus states “shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember a sin to kill mockingbirds” (Lee 119).

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905 Words | 4 Pages

Innocence and the Mockingbird The mockingbird is a very important symbol in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. In the novel, Jem and Scout are raised by a single father, Atticus, who is also a lawyer. Atticus is given the job of defending a black man, Tom Robinson, in court.

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How Does Harper Lee Use Literary Conventions In To Kill A Mockingbird

792 Words | 4 Pages

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lee uses various literary conventions to show different events in the southern part of Maycomb. The literary convention of theme often appears. One of them is the theme of heritage and family, which can be seen through characterization, states that characters are expected to be like their ancestors which doesn’t allow any individuality or uniqueness. Harper Lee uses events to show how family descriptions are implanted into other family members. On the first day of school, Walter Cunningham didn’t have any lunch and Scout tries to explain that “... Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back…” (26) which leads to Walter not accepting Miss Caroline’s money.

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683 Words | 3 Pages

A child is not born with a perspective on concepts like racism, he is given one. In the 1930’s, towns were very prejudice and Maycomb county in Alabama is no exception. Harper Lee and her novel To Kill a Mockingbird uses the characters Jem and Scout as a way to display lessons for the reader to latch on to. On pages, 373-376 Harper Lee uses imagery, symbolism, and flashbacks to illustrate how the lessons help shape Scout’s perspective and transform her into a young adult. Harper Lee intertwines imagery in her book to depict the lessons Scout is learning.

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1004 Words | 5 Pages

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561 Words | 3 Pages

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