Symbolism In To Kill A Mockingbird

The golden rule: "Treat others as one wants to be treated." Other than "Welcome to kindergarten," the golden rule tends to be the first saying a teacher says as they review the expectations for their new students. Though the rule may sound surface level, it gets the idea of empathy across, given the present age group. Eventually, the golden rule turns into standing in someone else's shoes." Moreover, the saying later turns into “looking into someone else’s eyes” Despite the complexities of the idioms compared to the simple golden rule, each expression is centered around empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The straightforward to complex idioms symbolize the evolving mind, given that one can apply empathy more

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, the protagonist, Scout, grows up in a society where empathy is not practiced regularly. Despite the encouragement of compassion by her father, Atticus, her town of Maycomb, Alabama, resembles the exact opposite of what empathy is. Throughout the novel, Scout's evolving perspective allows her to grasp the injustice around her, enabling her empathetic side to emerge. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses symbolism to depict Scout's adolescence as a time of figuring out her values to convey her evolving perspective, revealing the importance of empathy and its correlation with maturity. To start, Lee utilizes the Radley tree to symbolize Scout's evolving perspective and her identity unveiling as she matures. At the novel's beginning, after Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend Dill trespass on Boo Radley's property to catch a glimpse of the mysterious Boo himself, the children discover that the Radley tree has gifts inside the knothole. The children were so fascinated by the treasures in the tree that they returned multiple times. Scout, being young, does not think much of the kind gestures when she initially encounters the gifts. However, her perspective shifts when the children return to the Radley tree two weeks

Lee uses the trial to reveal the importance of empathy and its correlation with maturity. As Scout observes the prosecution and witnesses the unjust treatment of Tom Robinson, her values are compromised in the face of injustice. Scout eventually realizes that Tom Robinson is innocent. Yet, it takes many experiences to come to this conclusion. Initially, she did not comprehend why Atticus was defending Tom Robinson, knowing that he would lose the case: "Scout, you aren't old enough to understand some things yet, but there's been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn't do much about defending this man" (100). Atticus acknowledges Scout's limited understanding due to her innocence. This interaction is a turning point in Scout's journey towards empathy and maturity, as she begins questioning her values and the values of the society around her. Scout's initial confusion and inability to fully comprehend the situation reflect the immaturity and innocence of her perspective, revealing that as she matures, her ability to empathize with others will be enabled. Scout's empathy is applied after witnessing the trial firsthand: "I found myself believing [Tom]...He seemed to be a respectable N*gro, and a respectable Negro would never go up into somebody's yard of his own volition"