Symbolism In To Kill A Mockingbird

"You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire." (273) Whether a man is black or white, Atticus Finch knows that all men have done immoral things. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, many of the characters and objects portray deeper meanings than what meets the eye. Atticus Finch represents upstanding morals and rational philosophy, the Mockingbird represents innocence, and the snowman represents that white and black people are the same. Although the majority of the townspeople intimidate, criticize, and verbally abuse

Atticus, he does not sway away from his righteous morals. Judge Taylor appoints Atticus to take the Tom Robinson case because he knows Atticus is the only one who will defend Tom. Along with the townspeople, Atticus’ family criticizes and insults him. Francis

Although the reader may not be aware of all the symbols in To Kill a Mockingbird, several are exceptionally noticeable. Atticus, without a doubt, symbolizes honorable morals and logical thinking. While the Mockingbird evidently depicts innocence and justice, there are several characters used to represent the Mockingbird. While the last symbol, the snowman, was not as evident as the other two, the snowman not only represents that Jem understands white and black people are the same but also symbolizes ethics. Scout innocently states, “Jem, I ain’t ever heard of a nigger snowman”(89). Jem replies with “He won’t be black long.”(89) Scout unintentionally uses a racist comment, but Jem shows that all people are equal by covering the mud with white