Radley House Symbolism

How often do you escape? Everyday, we escape from things such as answering a question, doing a chore, or even being around certain people. We escape from the burden of sin, we escape from grudges, and we generally like to escape from reality, from things that we don’t like. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the symbols of the treehouse, the white camellia, and the Radley house to reveal escaping. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the symbol of Jem and Scout’s treehouse to represent escaping, escaping from reality. On page 15, paragraph 8 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout says, “Hours of wintertime had found me in the treehouse, looking over at the schoolyard, spying on multitudes of children through a two-power telescope Jem had given me…” Scout went to the treehouse to escape from the reality that she doesn’t get to go to school, loneliness, and adult supervision. Scout tries to escape from reality and adult supervision in other ways too. She tries to run away from Uncle Jack when he tries to beat her for saying words that she

The symbol of the white camellia is used to reveal escaping from grudges, and having forgiveness. In To Kill a Mockingbird (pg.111-112 P.15), Jem is really angry because he thought that Mrs. Dubose, the lady in which he destroyed her camellias in anger, was trying to taunt him. Atticus says, “I think that was her way of telling you – everything’s all right now, Jem, everything’s all right.” The white camellia that Mrs. Dubose sent Jem after she died was a symbol of her grudge and anger against, Jem, for ruining her camellias, had escaped her. She had forgiven Jem. Not only did the white camellia represent Mrs. Dubose’s feelings, but also Jem’s. Jem could now feel free of debt. He had read to her every day for 5 weeks (except on Sundays), and now, she has passed away. Jem no longer has to feel remorse and regret, but freedom that everything is right