What Does The Gum Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

String:

One item found in the tree was a tied up ball of string. This was one of the eight different items found inside the knothole near the Radley house. This string looks like just some ordinary item found in everyday life, but in To Kill a Mockingbird it serves as a greater symbol. Jem and Scout are siblings that have had some ups and downs in their lives which gives them a very dynamic relationship throughout the novel. Firstly, the string represents the relationship between these two characters. During the beginning of the novel, Jem is portrayed as a childish and immature character leading to a similar relationship with his father, neighbors, aunt, but most importantly Scout. The twine is figuratively connecting these two characters.

However, in To Kill a Mockingbird gum can be a symbol for something much larger. The gum symbolizes childishness and adolescence. During the time when Scout found the single gum in the tree, she was not very mature or adultlike. This leads to the allusion of the gum to youthfulness. Even though Scout is portrayed as an immature little kid during the beginning of the novel she grows throughout it and matures along the way.

Secondly, the gum symbolizes trust. When Scout found the single pieces of gum it had no wrapper indicating that someone previously unwrapped it. This was Boo Radley. During the beginning of the book, Boo can be described as a timid and unknown character leading to many people not trusting him. The gum in the tree is just like him, Scout chews it first to see if it’s not poisonous which it’s not then Jem later on makes Scout spit it out showing how he doesn’t trust it. In the end it turns out the Gum is not poisonous and it was just Boo Radley trying to make contact with the kids.

Coins in ring

In this case, it symbolizes conflict and violence within the whole book. To start off with, the knife foreshadows the conflict between Mayella and Tom Robinson which later evolves into Tom versus Bob Ewell and the trial. The first conflict with Mayella is a physical one, literally representing the knife and how it can hurt people. In this case, Tom is the one being hurt by Mayella. With knives there can be a choice, whether to use it as a tool, or as a weapon. This is similar to when the jury has a choice to help or hurt Tom Robinson. They could either help him, putting their stature as a white man helping a black man down, or they could hurt him keeping the stereotypical norm the