What Is The Symbolism In To Kill A Mockingbird

Words: 650
Pages: 3

The Symbolic Mockingbirds: Tom Robinson and Mayella Violet Ewell In Harper Lee’s timeless classic To Kill a Mockingbird, the symbol of the mockingbird appears in nearly every situation. The mockingbird is an important part of the story. The Mockingbird’s characteristics will be displayed in Tom and Mayella. This essay will explain the symbolic meaning, the characteristics, and the relation of Tom and Mayella as both a primary and secondary mockingbird. The Mockingbird represents innocence. Mockingbirds in the book are harmless and have a song. The mockingbirds have been sinned upon by other and have a sin. Sin connects with either the figurative or literal “killing” or “saving of the mockingbird. Their song becomes their sin and undoing. Mockingbirds are …show more content…
Ewells are regarded as the trash of Maycomb County. They literally live in the dump. Even though she lost her right to a proper life when she was born, she tries harder than anyone else in her family to become more civilized. She tries her best to be clean and she tends to her Red Geraniums which was even compared to Miss Maudie’s flowers. Mayella was supposedly “raped” by Tom Robinson. As they try Tom Robinson, she is broken down bit by bit by Atticus. Atticus felt no good coming from it, but to save Tom, Atticus had to figuratively “kill” Mayella on the stand. Because of all the questions she doesn’t have time to comprehend or even retort, so she says nothing at all about them. Mockingbirds do nothing but sing their hearts out. Because they are innocent, harmless creatures, it is a sin to hurt or harm them. Tom and Mayella have the characteristics of a mockingbird, and they represent the disease of racial prejudice against blacks in the community. Tom was both a Mockingbird and the rabid dog shot by Atticus. Mayella was the flower that bloomed within all the weeds and aspired to make something of herself. In the end, each mockingbird has a song, but it becomes their sin and