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Nut Grass Symbolism

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“The roots of racism lie deep in a man’s nature, wounded and bruised by original sin” Sargent
Shriver. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has been read by thousands, and it teaches lessons that everyone can apply to their life. One of the most apparent themes of the story is humanity. The main characters Jem, Scout, and their lawyer father Atticus are followed throughout the story, as he tries to raise them with respect for all people in the small prejudice town of Maycomb. Atticus has been appointed to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman in the racist town. Lee uses symbolism throughout the novel to represent various characters and ideas conveying the theme. To begin, Lee uses symbolism in chapter 5 with Miss Maudie’s Nut Grass. “If she found a Blade of nut grass in her yard it was like a Second Battle of the Marne; she swooped down upon it with a tin tub and subjected it to blasts from beneath with a poisonous substance. She said it was so powerful it’d kill us all if we didn’t stand out of the way” (LEE 42). The nut grass symbolizes racism. Even the smallest amount “can ruin a whole yard” (LEE 42). In Maycomb racism is prevalent throughout the town, and to stop it from spreading it must be uprooted and killed. Even today racism is still prevalent, we …show more content…

The mockingbird represents Boo Radley, Atticus, Tom Robinson, and innocence. “…remember it is a sin to kill a mockingbird” (LEE 90). This quote supports the symbolism because the innocent are “killed” and “kept in jail” for no valid reason. “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’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (LEE 90). In the quote Lee gives the reason why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, saying the “mockingbirds” do nothing but good society and the people in it. The mocking bird is the most obvious example of

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To Kill A Mockingbird by the late Harper Lee is a very monumental book in classic American literature. It is filled with craft moves that support the goals that Lee makes the reader aware of throughout the story. To Kill A Mockingbird is about the struggles of dealing with a court case supporting a black man, Tom Robinson, through the eyes of a young girl, Scout Finch. Scout lives with her father Atticus in a small home in Maycomb County, Alabama. She goes through many internal struggles throughout the story that she learns to deal with.

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In the classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird, author Harper Lee takes on the malignant impact of racism, a deeply rooted problem, from a different perspective and teaches readers what it truly means to be a good person as she brings to life one of the most virtuous characters in American literature-Atticus Finch. Told through the eyes of a young child, readers learn about the heavy prejudice embedded in the people of Maycomb County and the loss of innocence that is brought upon the kids as a racial conflict spurs a series of significant events in their quiet town. Taken place during the early years of the Great Depression, Maycomb must face its biggest problem-racism. Atticus Finch is the lawyer who defends this case and ultimately brings a

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Because the mockingbird is a symbol of innocence it is symbolic of the characters of Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson. Both are misunderstood and judged by the townspeople without really knowing them. Tom Robinson is killed violently due to being put in prison because

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Symbolism is used by many authors to convey a specific message that carries a deep meaning. In Harper lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the primary symbol is the Mockingbird. There are numerous references to the mockingbird in the novel, which can be seen through some of the characters. The allusion of the mockingbird is used to represent the idea of innocence.

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I think that the mockingbirds represent two characters in the book, who are Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Tom Robinson is a man with a loving family who was convicted of raping a teenager. All the evidence points to him being innocent, yet he is still convicted and sent to jail. Then he ends up getting shot at for trying to escape. This is a good example of a mockingbird in the book, because Tom Robinson was an innocent man, yet

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee tells a story of racial prejudice during the Depression and how it is combated. The main development in the novel is that a Atticus, the father of Scout and Jem, has been appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a young white woman named Mayella. Many people in the town of Maycomb, particularly people involved with the case of Tom, have a negative attitude towards African Americans. Prejudice was a terrible issue in the South during the Depression, but Atticus Finch shows that racial injustice can be combated in two main ways, each having different levels of effectiveness.

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The novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” was written in 1960 by Harper Lee in the point of view of a young innocent girl named Scout. One of the main messages that Lee has (need a new word than – indicated or set out) is racism, it plays an important role which strongly impacts many character’s lives unfairly and changes the relationship between two. Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” shows that it is wrong to hurt someone who does no harm to you, for example, black people are innocent but no way did they have as many rights as white people did. Black people lived hard lives because society was judgemental, irrational and most importantly, racist. As Scout and Jem grow older they learn to cope, take responsibility and are introduced to new aspects of life, one of which is racism.

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To Kill A Mockingbird Themes “‘You never really understand a person until you consider his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it’” (Lee 39). This quote from the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee includes many characters who suffer from the Great Depression and other conflicts that break out in the town of Maycomb. Racism, poverty, and domestic violence attend in the book and continue their way through to create rising conflict between the people of Maycomb county. Atticus Finch is a lawyer of Maycomb and a father of two children, Jean Louise Finch, also known as Scout, and Jem Finch.

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Option 2 Literary Analysis To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel set during the 1930s in a small town in Southern Alabama called Maycomb. The story is told through the narrator, Scout, a young girl who lives with her father, a lawyer, and her older brother Jem. As a child, Scout is portrayed as a stubborn and obnoxious little girl who loves to read, play with her brother Jem, and fantasize about her mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. However, her life gets turned upside down when Scout’s father agrees to do something that is deemed unacceptable in the south; he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who is accused of raping a white girl. Instantly, Atticus and his family go from being respected and beloved by their town, to being

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In the story, the innocents are destroyed by evil, the “mockingbird” comes to represent the idea of innocence. Thus, to kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Such as when Atticus says “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (103). Another example could be when Boo stabs Bob Ewell to save Jem and Scout, which sheriff Tate decides to say that Mr.Ewell fell on the knife, so Boo won’t have to go to court.

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The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is so titled because there are several characters in the story which could be consisted mockingbirds. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley do not cause any harm, they go about their business without interfering in the lives of others, and however both of them are in turn harmed by the citizens of Maycomb. Harper Lee’s novel examines the dark side of human nature and explores the ramifications of prejudice, racism and bigotry in a time when people were openly hostile to anyone they considered different and inferior. Lee tells her story to highlight the injustices of the South during a time of inequality, discrimination, where the innocent are unfairly punished. Tom Robinson a character in the novel is accused of something

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Near the end of the book, the mockingbird shows up again but this time to represent a certain person. “Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children…” -pg 241. The mockingbird indicates Tom Robinson’s innocence. It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird like it was a sin to kill Tom.

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Throughout the novel Harper Lee uses symbolism of many things to strengthen the theme of social inequality. The title of the book is the most obvious use of symbolism. The mockingbird is an animal meant for pleasure. It sings a beautiful song and hurts nothing and no one. When she receives an air gun as a gift, Scout is instructed to leave the mockingbirds alone for “its a sin to kill a mockingbird” and they pose no threat.

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Mockingbirds are an important symbol because they represent goodness and innocence. In this book, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are two innocent men, similar to mockingbirds, who get taken advantage of due to their innocence. Atticus and Miss Maudie teach Scout and Jem that it’s a sin to harm anything innocent by using the example of mockingbirds. Mockingbirds are innocent because they only positively affect people through their singing.

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