Symbolism In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee
In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird the author, Harper Lee, conveys a theme that in life the good and innocent people may be the ones who are most often persecuted. Though the symbolism of the mockingbird, and the characterization of Boo Radley; Harper Lee reveals her theme. The mockingbird is a significant symbol in the book. The reader’s first encounter with this symbol is when Atticus says to Scout “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (119). In the book the mockingbird symbolizes a person who is innocent. The reader catches on to this more clearly when Miss Maudie said “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (119). The author uses this analogy to explain that’s it’s
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Despite never having seen Boo Radley the town forms a great deal of unjustified assumptions about him, for example, they call him a “malevolent phantom” (10). From the author's word choice we understand that the town treats him like a monster, never seen and wishing to do evil. In reality Boo is a very shy and fearful person, the reader has proof of this when scout says “He almost whispered it, in a voice of a child afraid of the dark” (372). By comparing Boo to a child, the author gives us a sense that he does not know his way around social life. Which explains why he is always in his house and never comes out. Later on Scout puts this thought into words by saying “sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird” (372), as a result of Boo’s anxiety he stays inside all time to make himself comfortable. The people of the town think he’s a monster for this so they treat him accordingly. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee reveals a theme that in life the people who do good for the world are the ones mistreated by the world. By using the character of Boo Radley and the mockingbird the author brings us this theme. This story of good and evil reminds us that there will always be good and bad people, but like Atticus we must look past that and strive to make the world a better
Despite never having seen Boo Radley the town forms a great deal of unjustified assumptions about him, for example, they call him a “malevolent phantom” (10). From the author's word choice we understand that the town treats him like a monster, never seen and wishing to do evil. In reality Boo is a very shy and fearful person, the reader has proof of this when scout says “He almost whispered it, in a voice of a child afraid of the dark” (372). By comparing Boo to a child, the author gives us a sense that he does not know his way around social life. Which explains why he is always in his house and never comes out. Later on Scout puts this thought into words by saying “sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird” (372), as a result of Boo’s anxiety he stays inside all time to make himself comfortable. The people of the town think he’s a monster for this so they treat him accordingly. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee reveals a theme that in life the people who do good for the world are the ones mistreated by the world. By using the character of Boo Radley and the mockingbird the author brings us this theme. This story of good and evil reminds us that there will always be good and bad people, but like Atticus we must look past that and strive to make the world a better