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Tkam Symbolism

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“All communication (and data processing) is achieved through the use of symbols. Symbols take the form of words, sounds, gestures, ideas or visual images and are used to convey other ideas and beliefs. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for ‘STOP’” (Google). The adults in TKAM represent different life lessons, such as knowledge and equality. This symbolism is not only evident throughout the story it also plays a big role in the lives of Jem and Scout. In TKAM knowledge and equality are symbolized by Miss.Maudie and Atticus teaching Jem and Scout about the importance of thinking for themselves. In the first half of the book Miss.Maude, being the symbol of knowledge teaches Jem and Scout about the importance of thinking for themselves. …show more content…

On Scout’s first day of school, she runs into some problems with her teacher and asks Atticus if she can stay home, Instead he gives her a valuable piece of advice. “First of all, if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”(pg.39 Lee). This quote shows equality because instead of putting herself above someone, like the citizens of Maycomb do to the african americans, Atticus is telling Scout to see things from that person's point of view, to set herself equal to that person.Atticus is also telling Scout to think for herself because she has to put herself in another's shoes and see things from their perspective, no one's going to do that for her. Atticus is also subtly referencing Boo Radley by implying that Scout has to put herself in Boo’s shoes and see what he sees, which she does at the end of the book. At the end on the Tom Robinson case Atticus is giving his closing argument and he says this. ”But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal-there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court. It can be the Supreme Court on the United States or the humblest J.P. court in the land, or this honorable court which you serve. Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal.”(pg. 274 Lee). In this quote, Atticus literally states that all men are created equal, and by defending Tom Robinson he is showing equality and standing up to the town

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After reading the invigorating and richly textured novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, it is evidently established that symbolism is dredged in depth throughout. Although most illustrations in fact are inferred, such symbols are somewhat apparent and exemplifying. For example, the knothole, or a hole in a piece of timber, is one of the key symbols in the novel because it constitutes a connection or relationship between Jem, Scout, and Boo. In the novel Boo distributes several relevant objects to Jem and Scout by placing them in the knothole, instead of verbally communicating. As everyone in the county believes Boo is actually insane and violent through passed down uncivil rumors.

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In the scene he said “ If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never understand a person until you consider things from their point of view. Until you climb into his skin and walk around it.” ( Lee 39). Atticus broke down how to understand why someone is acting a certain way, Scout listening to this took this advice and applied it to the people around her.

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An important allusion in To Kill A Mockingbird is the phrase from The Declaration of independence, “all men are created equal. Atticus reminds the court of these basic principles when he is defending Tom Robinson. His exact word are “Thomas Jefferson once said that all men are created equal”. The reason I think Atticus said this is to remind the people of Maycomb what Jefferson wanted to remind the people in England, that every men on Earth should be treated equally because they were all created equal. It is important that Atticus says this because it will remind the jury and everyone that everyone including Tom Robinson should be treated equal in the justice system and everywhere else.

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618 Words | 3 Pages

Atticus tells her that she needs to walk in somebody else’s skin to understand them and have empathy “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”. Later Scout really understands what Atticus really meant. She thinks about what she would’ve done in Jem’s shoes. In the text after Atticus talks to her about how she should think of why she was excluded from Jem’s point of view.

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205 Words | 1 Pages

This book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is all about racism. There is one character that fights for equality, Atticus Finch. Atticus represents the desire for fairness. He proves some of it in his speech he gives at the courtroom. An example/quote, of his desire for equality is this quote, “…Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury.

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276 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee builds up to the trial of Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell. Once all the trial witnesses had spoken, time was running out in the courthouse and the judge had to decide on the case. As a last attempt, Atticus needed to get the jury on his side so he went on a rant about the racism in Maycomb County and the way people in the South devalue each other based on race, gender, and economic status. In Atticus’s last statement in the courthouse, he mentions a quote by the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson added a sentence saying “All men are created equal” in America.

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“I’m simply defending a Negro- his name id Tom Robinson…there’s been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn’t do much about defending this man.”(100). Also Atticus shows courage by teaching Scout to read after Miss Caroline told him to stop. “ If you’ll concede the necessity of going to school, we’ll go on reading

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2042 Words | 9 Pages

Respect is a hand, calling out, waving, waiting to be picked on to express its views on a topic. People look up to it, and, consequently, admire its nobility and intelligence. The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set during the time of the Great Depression and the Jim Crow laws, when black people and white people did not have the same rights as each other. The book is told from the point of view of Scout, a young girl, and the story is a reminiscence of her childhood. Her father, Atticus, is appointed as the lawyer for the trial of a man named Tom Robinson.

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545 Words | 3 Pages

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. "- Atticus Finch. This famous quote teaches Jean-Louise Finch (Scout) an important lesson about empathy from the beginning with Miss Caroline and reoccurs throughout the novel, anding aiding her coming-of-age in the end as she walks Arthur Radley home. Not only does Scout learn to “walk in another man's skin” but Atticus is forced to teach Scout’s older brother, Jem, the same lesson.

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1247 Words | 5 Pages

Scout admits she feels fine and Atticus asks her what is wrong. She tells him that her teacher, Miss Caroline, says that they cannot read together anymore because she is too advanced for her age. Atticus responds with, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it,”(Lee 39). Though Scout does not fully understand the concept of this lesson, it slowly comes to her as the book advances. She is able to make many connections using what Atticus taught her, and she truly understands the meaning of standing in another person’s shoes.

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870 Words | 4 Pages

In response, Atticus claims that "you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." Scout does not like or want to return to school, primarily because of Miss Caroline. You can never completely understand what someone is going through, according to this quotation. Scout is learning from Atticus that there is more to a person than meets the

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651 Words | 3 Pages

In addition, in the book it says, “I'm simply defending a Negro his name's Tom Robinson.” (pg 69). In this case when Atticus tells Scout that he is taking the case when no other lawyer would do it. As can be seen, Atticus is showing moral

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792 Words | 4 Pages

“If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view [...] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Lee, chapter 3,). This quote reveals, to place yourself in their shoes and see things how they see it. It is revealing Scout’s coming of age moment because she is learning to put herself in someone else's position and try to understand

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980 Words | 4 Pages

In the quote it demonstrates how Atticus has to simply explain to the Scout, you should never look at someone differently based on how much money they have. You should look at them for who they are. Some people are not as fortunate as others, it is not there fault, but like they Cunningham 's, they find a way. Atticus did not only open the kids eyes to how you should not judge someone, but also, to stand up for what you believe in, despite what others might say. When Atticus is presented with the Tom Robinson case, without much thought, he says yes to being his lawyer.

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1108 Words | 5 Pages

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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