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What Does The Soap Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Symbolism is something that gives significance or importance to an object or phrase of some sort. Such as how a heart symbolizes love and passion, and how a dove symbolizes peace and relief. In the novel to Kill a Mockingbird, there were two objects that were found in the tree knot hole that seem to mean something deeper than they look. These objects being soap carvings of Jem and Scout, and the pocket-watch with a knife. Both seem to have a symbolic meaning behind them. The symbolic meaning behind the soap carvings of Jem and Scout seem to symbolize that both Jem and Scout have shown some significance to the Radley household in some way. It could be compassion or gratefulness, whatever it might be they have shown importance to Boo Radley. …show more content…

I believe this is so because Boo Radley could have made the carvings of Jem and Scout out of anything honestly, but he chose to make Jem and Scout carvings out of soap since soap is an easily washed away material. Though carving into soap is easy, it can also take plenty of time to stick with small details and not mess up, so that part can be what represents how significant Jem and Scout are to Boo Radley, because he never really had to spend his time making those carvings, heonly did so because he wanted to. He did so, so Jem and Scout could know that Boo knows about them and their impact on him, whether it be a negative or positive impact, they’re holding some sort of importance. Just like the soap carvings, that pocket watch with the knife also carries a strong aura of symbolism. What the pocket watch and knife seem to symbolize is that there is limited time till a tradgey or even a death will occur in Maycomb. The tradgey of some sort might be someone that will most likely get relatively close to Jem and Scouts family, since every object that Boo has laid out for them seems to relate to them in some way. I believe this because the pocket watch and the knife were put out with each other. If Boo didn’t mean something similar to what I believe he could have put the objects out on their

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