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Symbolism In 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

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Section 1- Question 2: Discuss the use of one of the symbols used in “To Kill a Mockingbird” and how it deepens the understanding of the main themes of the text.
The Mockingbird is a dominant symbol within Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. The symbolism is applied to several characters due to their innocent quality throughout the novel. Their absence of moral or legal wrong directly aligns with that of a Mockingbird, and its vulnerability to being robbed of innocence. This idea is expressed during Scouts discussion with Miss Maudie on the topic of Mockingbirds “They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." – pg. 98. The …show more content…

The novel was set in the Deep South during the 1930’s, presently facing horrendous economical struggle due to the great depression. People of this time were excessively focused on finding work and making enough money to feed their families, hence increasing their ignorance of large scale issues, as it was easier to follow attitudes and notions rather than challenge them. This resulted in fierce racism, thus Tom Robinson’s case followed the same discriminative tendency based upon racial bias toward coloured people. Consequently, he was wrongfully charged guilty of a crime that was never committed. Through alternative context, the entire trial is likely to have not occurred, but due to financial struggle and social conduct of the time, Mayella Ewell was lead to sacrifice a human life for her own dignity within the current society. Atticus: “She has committed no crime, she has merely broken a rigid and time-honoured code of our society, a code so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with. She is the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance, but I cannot pity her: she is white.” - Pg. 222. After listening to her extremely low evident accusation, the jury concluded a guilty verdict for Tom Robinson on account of their custom to belief of being a superior

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To Kill a Mockingbird shows that children grow and learn quickly when exposed to an adult world as seen through Atticus Finch’s teachings that uses symbolism, metaphors, and similes. Atticus teaches his kids about the world through the use of symbolism of a mockingbird, representing people who have moral standards, but are persecuted. “Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird,” Atticus exclaimed to his children that harming African-Americans

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Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird and Eugenia Coolliers short story “Marigolds” evoke the most empathy by showing the growth of morals like empathy and compassion in the characters. The dynamic characters are used to emphasize how a person can change while symbolism is used to show a deeper meaning in an object both are used by the authors to evoke empathy. To Kill A Mockingbird, a novel published in 1960 about innocence, compassion and hatred. A story about children living in a racist time period trying to get through living there childhood without being influenced by the bad customs. “Marigolds” by Eugenia Cooliers is a short story also written in the 1960’s about a learning compassion and turning into a woman.

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In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the story is set in the 1900’s, Maycomb, Alabama. During this time there was racism in the south and segregation which separated the whites and blacks from everything. There was also the Great Depression, the whole country was poor and people living in the country had to trade and do other jobs for people to either pay them off or to buy something from them. The trial in this book is about Mayella and Bob Ewell, two white people, claiming and arguing that Tom Robinson, a black person, raped Mayella Ewell. This trial is really important because at that time in the south, white people took advantage of black people and their kindness and thought they would take that or shut up just because they were black.

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Green is a color that is mostly associated with the emotion, envy. Color symbolism is common in many different works and is generally associated with emotion. In this scene, Emma is at the peak of her unhappiness with her marriage and therefore at the peak of her envy towards other people she sees around her. The green hat that Emma wears symbolizes the constant envy she feels towards the peaceful people she comes in contact with. Emma is at a fair and seeing the people that are happier than she is, envious feelings swell up inside her.

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Tom was accused of raping a white woman who was Mayella Ewell, Mayella said he raped her while he was helping her with chores. She later on tells the readers that it was false allegations. The reason why she didn 't tell the truth at her first trial was because, Mayella was afraid of being embarrassed because she kissed a black male. She rather have an innocent man get charged with a crime than that. “However, Robinson was transferred from the state prison to Maycomb 's county jail on Saturday, two days before he stood trial on Monday, and Atticus had to defend him against a lynch mob”.

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In To “Kill A Mockingbird” Atticus Finch is faced with a hostile racist jury during the case of State of Alabama v Thomas Robinson, this court case in particular has stood out to me because I am going be faced with a similar hostile jury soon; I will be analyzing the closing argument made by Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird to further prepare. In the closing argument made by Atticus there are several allusions and references to symbols that have an effect on the court. An example of an allusion used by Atticus’s closing argument would be the reference to the word yankee and the use

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The mockingbird in To Kill A Mockingbird is symbolic of innocence. Early in the novel, Atticus, the father tells the children Scout and Jem that it is a "sin to kill a mockingbird". Later Scout asks Miss Maudie what he meant by that because she has never heard her father say anything was a sin. Miss Maudie explains his reasoning by saying that all mockingbirds do is provide beautiful music. They do not harm anyone, they don't bother anyone, and they "sing their hearts out for us."

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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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In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee many characters are victims of the harsh conditions of Maycomb County. Often those who are seen to be metaphorical mockingbirds are punished the most. A mockingbird is one who only wants and attempts to do good. Characters such as Boo Radley, Jem Finch and Tom Robinson are exemplars of mockingbirds in Maycomb. In the novel it is explained by Atticus that killing a mockingbird is a sin because they do not do anything to harm to us like nesting in corncribs, or eating up the gardens, they only sing for us.

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The poet, Lascelles Abercrombie once said, “There is only one thing which can master the perplexed stuff of epic material into unity; and that is, an ability to see in particular human experience some significant symbolism of man 's general destiny.”. He talked about how powerful of a tool symbolism is and how it is the only thing that can truly define a highly complex ‘destiny’ or series of events. Symbolism is something that is found throughout Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee shows the reader that racism is a product of society,she portrays the matter through her symbolism of the mad dog, the birds and the bugs.

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Tom Robinson is a young African-American who's been accused of raping and abusing Mayella Ewell, a young and closeted white woman. Racial discrimination is hinted throughout Tom’s trial as Atticus Finch explains to Jem that a white man’s word will always win over that of a black man’s - "... In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life" (220). Atticus explains to Jem that in the courts of Maycomb, a black man’s state of innocence or guilt is truly determined by a white man’s testimony.

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In the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, has many themes but none more evident than the losses and suffering of innocent people. For example, Mayella Ewell expiriences this theme as she is forced by her father to go along with the false accusation of rape comitted by Tom Robinson. As stated by Atticus Finch it wasn’t Tom but Mayella who committed this, "She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man.” (271).

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