...Innocents In the book To Kill A Mockingbird,by Harper Lee she uses a lot of symbolism throughout her story. Symbolism is a literary device where the author uses an object to stand for an idea. One of Lee’s famous symbol is an mockingbird.A mockingbird is a symbol of innocent. In her novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses Tom Robinson, Mayella Ewell and Boo Radley as human “mockingbirds” to contribute to the overall theme of innocence. The first character Harper Lee uses is Tom Robinson.Tom Robinson is an poor black man with an wife and three children. He is 25 years old and is known as a respectable kind young man. His left hand was crippled and caught in a cotton gin when he was a young boy. In the begin, Lee uses Tom Robinson as a mockingbird because he was innocent man who was accused of raping a young woman named Mayella Ewell.And he was shot seventeen times.Atticus...
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...Innocence in To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, published in 1960, is a novel about a little girl who experiences a trial. This novel takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. In the book, a mockingbird is a symbol of innocence. Children have innocence and when the ¨kill¨ their own innocence, they grow up. Scout is a little white girl who doesn't quite understand the world yet. In the book, She keeps her innocence but is later attacked. Tom Robinson is an African American man who was convicted of rape. A crime he did not commit, which he was sentenced to death for and killed for running away. Boo Radley is a man who was said to be a monster but in reality saved scout and her brother Jem. In the book,...
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...Analysis of Symbolism in To Kill A Mockingbird Most people would think of love when they look at the symbol ‘heart’. A symbol is an important literacy feature that is used to represent larger or abstract ideas. Symbols are often used by authors to deepen and further extend themes. In Harper Lee’s novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, her effective use of symbols and their deep meanings contribute towards the development of some important themes. The uses of symbols, a mockingbird and blue jay, significantly develop the key theme that the coexistence of the good and evil always remain. A mockingbird and blue jay prove that the good and evil coexist by utilizing two characters, Bob Ewell and Boo Radley. First, Bob Ewell...
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...“Prejudice is the child of ignorance” (William Hazlitt). Throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird people judge others before they truly have a right to judge. In the town of Maycomb, Alabama many individuals make judgements about Boo Radley and Tom Robinson before they know the truth. Scout Finch is a rare breed in this time, with her father defending Tom Robinson and her brother Jem and her interested in finding more about Boo Radley she constantly gets a chance to make unprejudiced judgements on people. Harper Lee helps the reader better understand prejudice using symbolism , imagery, and metaphors throughout the story. Prejudice was common throughout the story To Kill a Mockingbird, this could be seen through symbolism. It is a sin to kill a mockingbird, this is explained when Miss Maudie says “they don’t do one thing...
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...When examining the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the reader can see that the mockingbird is a metaphorical symbolization of the theme of innocence, or the loss of. Published in 1960 by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird has become a literary classic. This essay will explore the significance of the title “To Kill a Mockingbird” and will endeavor to explain to the reader why Harper Lee’s novel is called To Kill a Mockingbird while also touching on some of the themes that are connected to the title, such as the loss of innocence and injustice. Revolving...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird Seminar Essay Guiding Question 2 In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee explains Scout’s coming of age story through a point of view lesson and a lesson about society. After Scout’s first day of school, Atticus justifies Miss Caroline’s extreme behavior regarding Scout’s early reading skills by claiming “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view(Lee 39)”. At this point in the novel, Scout thinks little of what Atticus says and refuses to believe any justification for how Miss Caroline treated her earlier in the day. However, Scout quickly becomes reminded of this lesson time and time again. At the climax of the novel, Atticus justifies Bob Ewell’s reaction of the court proceedings as “some kind of comeback(Lee 292)” when putting himself in Ewell’s shoes. Scout begins to relax, but is not reassured completely by Atticus’ explanation of Bob Ewell’s bland threats. Scout finally truly understands this coming of age lesson when putting herself in Boo Radley’s...
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...To Kill A Mockingbird In the book “ To kill A Mockingbird” Author Harper Lee uses plenty of symbolism. Symbolism is a literary device where author uses an object to stand for an idea. The most famous symbol used in the book is “Mockingbird” the symbol of innocents. In her novel, “To KIll A Mockingbird” Harper Lee uses Tom Robinson , Boo Radley and Atticus Finch as human “Mockingbirds” to contribute the overall theme of innocents. First, Lee uses Tom Robinson as a mockingbird. Tom Robinson is a poor black man with a wife and 3 kids. Tom Robinson was accused of raping a young white woman by the name of Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson was also shot 17 times and killed. Atticus said, “ Seventeen bullet holes in holes, they didn’t have to shoot him that much”(315) Tom Robinson was found guilty of all charges for the “raping” of Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson’s story was that she asked him to come help get something out of the yard. Then she wanted him to fix a non broken door. After that she needed him to get a item on the shelf and she wrapped her arms around his waist and told him to kiss her. Atticus stated that Tom Robinson’s arm was badly messed up when he was younger by getting his hand caught in a cotton gin. He shows that statement because...
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...“How Does Harper Lee Present Her Ideas About Childhood in the Novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’?” In the novel ‘‘‘To Kill a Mockingbird’’’ written by Harper Lee, childhood is expressed throughout the story. The narrator of ‘‘‘To Kill a Mockingbird’’’ is Scout, an adult when the book was written, but a child when the story was lived, with this narration Harper Lee, uses Scout to portray the events which, normally would have had a biased review by adults at the time, but because it is written by a child it has non-judgemental views. Therefore, because of the child narrator, and the other main characters being children, this shows that childhood in ‘‘‘To Kill a Mockingbird’’’ is important and crucial. In the chapters 1 to 12, childhood is presented by friendship, gullibility, pride, questioning and fear. The fear element, is a major part through ‘‘To Kill a Mockingbird’’, because at different stages of the novel at least one of the main characters is scared. The Finch children first experience real friendship in ‘‘‘To Kill a Mockingbird’’’, when they meet Charles Baker Harris – Dill. Before Dill has passed the ‘Jem test’, Dill boasts to Scout and Jem that he can read. Which was not usually common in Maycomb at the time, but Jem and Scout could both read, which meant that they thought Dill was showing off and they wouldn’t want to be friends with him. Also what makes Dill become an issue about friendship, is how he introduces himself. He recites his entire name, and makes fun of...
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...Building Suspense in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is told from 6-year-old Scouts’ perspecive. She and her older brother Jem, spend a lot of their time with their friend, Dill, spying on their strange neighbor Boo Radley. Touhout the book they coninue atempting to luer out Boo of his house, while scout and Jems dad is defending an African American, which many people are against. Harper Lee used flashbacks, description, and revealing actions to help build suspense throughout the book. The first technique used to build suspense is flashbacks. Scout and Jem have flashbacks to things they remember hearing about Boo Radley and what he has done. One example is when Scout rolled in front of the Radley house...
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...A mockingbird is a harmless bird that makes the world more pleasant. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the mockingbird symbolizes Boo Radley, Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson, who were peaceful people who never did any harm. To kill or harm them would be a sin. Scout's father, Atticus, tells Scout and Jem, “Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Atticus is portraying that they are innocent and to harm them would be a sin. The mockingbird symbolizes these three characters because it does not have its own song, the mockingbird only sings other birds' songs and is seen through the other bird’s voices. The people of Maycomb only knew Boo, Atticus and Tom by what others said about them. These characters do not really have their own voice or song, they are only known for what others say about them. Atticus is a lawyer in Maycomb, a typical southern town where racial discrimination is the normal behavior. When he decides to defend Tom Robinson a black man, the people in the town were threatening him for doing so. Though Atticus never showed any sign that he doubted what he was doing. Atticus saw the evil in his world and was only trying to protect his children from it. He simply denied the natural behavior to colored people and fought against it. Atticus took the hatred, pushed it aside, kept his head high and stayed true to himself. He never hurt a soul and was just as innocent as a mockingbird. Boo Radley went through...
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...Symbolism; This is when an author uses any type of object to stand for and Idea. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Harper Lee uses Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Jem Finch as human mockingbirds (The mockingbird is a symbol of innocence.) to contribute to the overall theme of innocence. First, Lee Uses Boo Radley as a mockingbird when he’s always accused of being crazy/creepy because he doesn’t come out of the house, also jem says “Boo Radley was about Six-and-A-Half feet tall, “Judging from his tracks” He dined on raw Squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained.” (13) Second, Lee Uses Tom Robinson as a mockingbird when he was shot 17 times and accused of raping Mayella Ewell because of his SKIN COLOR. “Atticus said,...
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...Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird “Prejudice is a learned trait. You’re not born prejudiced; you’re taught it.” -Charles R Swindoll. The town of Maycomb is a close locale full of kindness and courtesy, but also one of hatred and prejudice. Scout and Jem are growing up and learning from the adults in their community, meaning that they are not only learning kindness- they are also learning judgement. Chapter one of To Kill a Mockingbird sets the scene of the town specter, Arthur “Boo” Radley. Scout, Jem, and Dill sit in awe of the Radley household, reflecting over Boo’s story- and the conspiracies surrounding him. The passage that begins the subplot surrounding Boo Radley shows that prejudice can happen within close communities. Jem, Scout, and Dill’s childish fears toward Boo Radley symbolize the town’s feelings toward the Radley family. The passage that symbolizes this is as follows: “Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom. People said he existed, but Jem and I had never seen him. People said he went out at night and when the moon was down, and peeped in windows. When people’s azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he had breathed on them, Any stealthy small crimes committed in...
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...Influential Themes in the book To Kill a Mockingbird The history of the world has lots of social problems that still exist in the world today. We deal with an extensive amount of racism all around the world; therefore, it is still a struggle for the world to learn how to live in peace and harmony. Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, captures many themes, but the most influential life lessons deal with racism, perspective, and morality. Racism is one of the most influential themes in the book. Lee explains very well about the problems of racism in the south; in other words, the theme of racism in the book teaches an important message that all people need to learn. Atticus says, “Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” That was the...
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...Throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird symbolism is present as a mockingbird, the multiple flowers mentioned, and a character himself, Boo Radley. Mockingbirds are a picture of innocence and beauty. The mockingbird is used as a symbol of innocence in the book. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is telling Scout how it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Scout later asks Miss Maudie and Miss Maudie agrees by saying “Your father’s right…Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy…but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” They say it is a sin to kill one because they do not do anything to harm others. The only thing they do is bring music to their ears. Not only for innocence in general,...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is a critically acclaimed novel narrated by Scout FInch, following an important three years in her life. This novel became an instant best seller, an Academy Award-winning film, and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. This book in some states are part of the English curriculum to be taught in high schools, while in other states it is banned from school libraries. This book arises much controversy because it is based around white supremacy in the South, and how African Americans were harshly treated. It reveals the ugly truth on how society handled cases in the court and the biased verdicts as the result. It also reveals the existence of good and evil in a small town, and how some adults...
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