Character Symbolism

To Kill a Mockingbird Character Symbolism

Scout Symbolizes as a

Scout  is symbolized as a mocking bird

Mockingbirds sings beautifully most of the time and that is innocence in its own way. Scout is also innocent since she doesn’t really know that much bad stuff in the world. They both are aggressive sometimes. For example, Scout gets aggressive when people make fun of her and insults her and the mockingbirds gets aggressive when people go near their nest. Basically, they both get aggressive when they are agitated and they both are willing to attack if they want to. One quote that shows Scout’s aggressiveness is, “Let him go,Scout. Why? He didn’t have any lunch, I said, and explained my involvement in Walter’s dietary affairs” (30). This shows that Scout fought him since she was agitated of being make fun in class because she tried to explain what a Cunningham is just like how a mockingbird being agitated when someone goes near the nest. A quote that shows Scout’s innocence is,”…I had a question to ask Atticus. What’s rape? I asked him that night”(180). This shows how innocent is Scout which is as innocent as mockingbirds peacefully singing.

Picture Explanation

The bird in the picture is a mockingbird peacefully singing which is innocence and the danger sign is to warn people to not go near the nest or else you will get attacked because it agitates the bird just like agitating Scout, which means by making fun of her, you will get attacked.

Chris

 

Calpurnia can be symbolized as a door.

“How’d you and Mister Jem like to come to church with me tomorrow” (Lee, 156).

In To Kill a Mockingbird Calpurnia serves as a “doorway” to another “world” that Scout and Jem do not know about. Calpurnia takes them to her church, which is predominately African-American. When they do to her church they notice things about it that are different then the church they usually go to. Scout notices that the church doesn’t have hymn books. Jem also notices that they sing their hymns differently, Calpurnia tells them that hymn books wouldn’t do them any good. ” ‘They can’t read’ ” (Lee, 164). (They referring to the people who go to her church). Scout and Jem also realize that Calpurnia speaks differently at her church, and they say that she had a “modest double life”. Scout  even says “That Calpurnia led a modest double life never dawned on me”(Lee, 167). This quote shows Scout is learning about Calpurnia’s other lifestyle/world is becoming more apparent to her and that she is realizing what Calpurnia and other’s lifestyle is like.

 

Character Symbolism : Tom Robinson as a Mockingbird

 

Tom Robinson can be symbolized as a Mockingbird. Mockingbird, as Atticus says, “don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… that’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Tom Robinson is innocent, but people are racist and call him guilty. This is like killing a mockingbird, they are killing the inocent people. They are accusing an innocent person who did nothing but help Mayella out. This is just like mockingbirds. Mockingbirds do nothing but sing for us. Tom Robinson and mockingbirds are both great people and animals that help others. Tom Robinson was not accused for his character, but for his appearance. Harper Lee tells us something, when Atticus let’s Jem shoot blue jays. This is like how Heck Tate lets Boo Radley go with the fact that he killed Bob Ewell.

 

Tyler

Character Symbolism: Boo Radley as a fox

Boo Radley could be symbolized as a fox because he is very sneaky and slick when he shows up to do certain actions. Like when Jem and Scout were being beat, Boo was there to save them like he knew it was already going to happen. Also, putting gifts in the knothole in the tree without letting the kids know it was him can be mysterious and sly. Although Boo is emotionally damaged, due to his cruel father, he is still incredibly intelligent. All these traits relates to the slyness of how a fox conducts and completes his own tasks.