ipl-logo

To Kill A Mocking Bird Symbolism Essay

1163 Words5 Pages

Madalyn Lindberg Ms Vande Guchte Honors English 10b 5/13/24 To Kill a Mockingbird Symbolism Essay To Kill a Mockingbird, you know the book. You know the one where the girl dresses up in a glowing ham costume and waddles around? But what is the deeper meaning of this book? The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place during the Great Depression when racism and injustice are high. This is a story narrated by Scout Finch, a 6 year old girl who is the daughter of a white lawyer, and describes her life and the trial of Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson was convicted of raping a white woman. Atticus is his lawyer and they put together a strong argument that proves Tom did not rape the girl. Foreshadowing is a process when an author says something early …show more content…

Maybe he told you about me. tell him, “hey, for me, won't you?”(Lee 154). This is Scout basically asking Mr. Cunningham why are you attacking my father and becoming racist? I used to be friends with your son, and we all live in the same community. Why are you ruining it with this racism? The racism spread to Mr. Cunningham and to other people in the community just as the Fire spread through the different houses in the neighborhood and was put out by Scouts so it won't spread just as the Fire was put out by men so it won't spread. Fire foreshadows the racism spreading through the neighborhood to Mr. Cunningham, and then destroying the community but eventually being put out by others in the neighborhood. Finally, Lee uses a Mockingbird to foreshadow Tom Robinson's death. In the story, Scout's older brother Jem gets a gun and is practicing shooting at birds. Atticus told Jem “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird”(Lee 90). A mockingbird stands as a symbol of innocence and that is why it is a sin to kill it. This is saying that people should not kill something that does not hurt us, and do not do anything that affects

Show More
Related
793 Words | 4 Pages

Colin Green Ms.Surunis MYP Academic English 9, B7 January 9, 2023 The chifferobe represents private space. They exist to hold secrets and intimacy quite literally undergarments and other personal items.

Read More
1038 Words | 5 Pages

Mockingbirds In A River of Racism and Prejudice A mockingbird is a person of innocence, kindness and decency who is slowly washed away by the strong, flowing river of racism and prejudice. Sometimes, the mockingbird is completely washed away but in some cases, there are still little parts of them floating in the river.

Read More
287 Words | 2 Pages

RJ Spruhde Mr. Cutillo English 9 W1 ?? June 2024 An Essay with a Creative, Thought-Provoking Title Have you ever thought about the innocent people in society who are often hurt by other people’s actions? In “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, the idea that it is particularly sinful to hurt innocent people is shown multiple times.

Read More
445 Words | 2 Pages

I Chose The Book To Kill A Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird has influenced the thinking of my life because of the conflict and symbolism in the book. The symbolism in this book isn't just in the book it is in our world everyday sometimes it's hidden but it's their. The symbolism of killing a mockingbird influenced me the most by showing how tom robinson is a innocent man and is being attacked. Killing a mockingbird is a sin because they don't you you or anything. To kill a mockingbird shows lots of symbolism throughout the whole book, and the main symbolism in the book is the mockingbird.

Read More
1362 Words | 6 Pages

After finishing the book I began evaluating the theme of walking in someone’s shoes. During the book, I noticed that Scout walks in Boo’s shoes. After walking Boo home, Scout sees the world from Boo’s point of view. She realizes how much Boo has seen them grow. Boo watched them from little children until they were young adults.

Read More
1117 Words | 5 Pages

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.

Read More
157 Words | 1 Pages

In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many scenes in the book that represent certain ideas or themes. Sometimes a scene is described thoroughly, and other times the reader has to picture it in their mind. One captivating scene in this book, is during the trial, when the Ewell’s property is described. This section of the book mentions that one corner of the Ewell’s trash-filled yard surprises the town, because it is neat and gingerly cared for. The text states, “Against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson.”

Read More
804 Words | 4 Pages

“Sir” “--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee, 33). Atticus suggests to Scout to put herself in Walter's place and understand where he comes from and why he acts the way he does. This is a considerable problem for Scout, for all younger kids, because she never puts into consideration what other people are going through, therefore, never discriminates against someone before you know them. Calpurnia shares with Scout that “There’s some folks who don’t eat like us.” He ain’t company, Cal, he’s just a Cunningham–.. “Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you were so high and mighty!

Read More
347 Words | 2 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the Great Depression, the 1930’s, which was a time when most people were in poverty and dependent on God. The title of the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, represents a theme in itself. The symbolic theme of the book is that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Mockingbirds are peaceful birds who do not hurt anyone, they only create music for everyone to enjoy. This theme symbolizes some of the characters throughout the novel, in that the characters only help people while people are rude and gossip about them while they do no harm.

Read More
1048 Words | 5 Pages

Dictionary states The birds which mimicry of the calls and songs of other birds are mockingbirds (Oxforddictionaries). However, in this novel, the mockingbird is not simply interpreted as definition of it. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus said that “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 86). Furthermore, when Scout asked Miss Maudie about it, she said mockingbird make music for people to enjoy instead of eating people’s gardens and nest in the corn crib which are blue jays do (Lee 86). To be specific, blue jays do people harm by eating people’s agriculture crops because grains are part of blue jays’ diet.

Read More
187 Words | 1 Pages

Mockingbird Although the title To Kill a Mockingbird has very literal connection to the plot, it carries a heavy symbolic weight in the novel. The mockingbird here represents the symbol of innocence, true goodness, and purity. That is, to kill a mockingbird is a sin. An example of a human “mockingbird” would be Tom Robinson.

Read More
958 Words | 4 Pages

Imagine being stuck in a world where discrimination was relevant, hate was real, and white superiority existed. You live in that world. Harper Lee also lived in that world and survived it. The Scottsboro Boys Trial was a trial where innocent black boys were killed because they were accused and found guilty of raping white girls. Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, takes place during the 1930s in Maycomb, Alabama and is loosely based off of this trial and her life.

Read More
707 Words | 3 Pages

TKAM Lit Analysis In the classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee a little girl, that goes by the name of Scout, and her brother, Jem. The book details the experiences they had in one of the worst times in American history. This dark period is referred to as The Great Depression. The Finch kids learn about all of the problems of the world with the help of her Father, a local Drunk, and the Towns Menace.

Read More
516 Words | 3 Pages

The mockingbird represents Jem and Scout, how they are innocent in this scene and unaware of danger, as the bird is. In chapter 10, it is just a bird, a myth, that killing a mockingbird is a sin. However, in this chapter it symbolized Jem and Scout, and how they represent innocence in the

Read More
226 Words | 1 Pages

To Kill A Mockingbird is a beautifully written piece of literature that illustrates the symbolism of a mockingbird. Harper Lee has created this to show how not only is it a sin to kill a mockingbird but also people who act in the same manner. Tom Robinson plays a major role as a mocking bird because he is discriminated against, knocked down, and doesn’t fight back harshly. All mockingbirds do is sing sweet songs in the treetops and the only thing they get in return is death. Tom Robinson, similarly, shows kindness toward others but gets hatred in exchange.

Read More

More about To Kill A Mocking Bird Symbolism Essay

Open Document