To Kill A Mockingbird Symbolism Analysis
Harper Lee has long been hailed as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Her book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is loved by many all around the world. The protagonists fill you with a sense of admiration, the antagonists, disgust. The novel incorporates fantastic life lessons on how we should treat others. One thing that may go unnoticed, though, is Lee’s use of symbolism. Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses symbols, such as the mockingbird, Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and Tim Johnson to establish and develop the themes of ethics, justice, as morality. Lee uses the mockingbird to symbolize Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson was innocent of the charges brought against him, but he was still convicted. He was harmless,
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For the citizens of Maycomb, prejudice is a vicious, rabid dog that spreads through town and marks his territory. Perhaps the most prominent example of prejudice is Tom Robinson’s mistreatment bestowed upon him by the majority of Maycomb’s citizens. Even though Tom’s accusers themselves are looked down upon because of their poverty, and Tom’s innocence is as clear as glass, the citizens on the jury would not dare take a black man’s word over a white man’s. When Sheriff Heck Tate does not feel like he is able to handle the pressure put on him by the town, he calls Maycomb’s moral compass, Atticus Finch to do the job. ‘‘There is the way Atticus is indeed against using a gun normally as it ‘gives him an unfair advantage over nature’, but since he knew he had to get rid of the rabid dog and keep it from harm to anyone, he did do it.’’ Harper Lee uses Tim Johnson to show that racism and prejudice is immoral, unethical, and has no place in a civilized society and that it should be shot down when it rears its ugly head. To conclude, Harper Lee uses her excellent appliance of symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird. She uses the characters of Tom Robinson and Boo Radley to symbolize mockingbirds and innocence. She also uses Tim Johnson to symbolize prejudice. These characters are used to develop Harper Lee’s themes of justice, morality, and
For the citizens of Maycomb, prejudice is a vicious, rabid dog that spreads through town and marks his territory. Perhaps the most prominent example of prejudice is Tom Robinson’s mistreatment bestowed upon him by the majority of Maycomb’s citizens. Even though Tom’s accusers themselves are looked down upon because of their poverty, and Tom’s innocence is as clear as glass, the citizens on the jury would not dare take a black man’s word over a white man’s. When Sheriff Heck Tate does not feel like he is able to handle the pressure put on him by the town, he calls Maycomb’s moral compass, Atticus Finch to do the job. ‘‘There is the way Atticus is indeed against using a gun normally as it ‘gives him an unfair advantage over nature’, but since he knew he had to get rid of the rabid dog and keep it from harm to anyone, he did do it.’’ Harper Lee uses Tim Johnson to show that racism and prejudice is immoral, unethical, and has no place in a civilized society and that it should be shot down when it rears its ugly head. To conclude, Harper Lee uses her excellent appliance of symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird. She uses the characters of Tom Robinson and Boo Radley to symbolize mockingbirds and innocence. She also uses Tim Johnson to symbolize prejudice. These characters are used to develop Harper Lee’s themes of justice, morality, and