Symbolism & Themes

To Kill a Mockingbird

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A symbol is an ordinary object, event, person, or animal to which we have attached a special meaning.

What Is a Symbol?

Public symbols

• have been inherited, or handed down over time

• show up in art and literature

Where Do We Get Symbols?

• are widely known

What does each of these symbols stand for? Why do you think they have taken on the meanings they have?

justice luck love

Where Do We Get Symbols?

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Invented symbols

• come about when writers make a character, object, or event stand for some human concern

• sometimes become well known and gain the status of public symbol

Where Do We Get Symbols?

Writers use symbols to

• suggest layers of meaning that a simple, literal statement could never convey

• speak more powerfully to the reader’s emotions and imagination

• make their stories rich and memorable

Symbols in Literature

"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

The Mockingbird as a Symbol

Who in the book is a mockingbird? Any ideas yet?

Symbolism

The Mockingbird: Symbolizes Everything The Mockingbird: Symbolizes Everything That is Good and Harmless in This WorldThat is Good and Harmless in This World

The mockingbird only sings to please others The mockingbird only sings to please others and therefore it is considered a sin to shoot a and therefore it is considered a sin to shoot a mockingbird. They are considered harmless mockingbird. They are considered harmless creatures who give joy with their song.creatures who give joy with their song.The mockingbird image or symbol appears four The mockingbird image or symbol appears four times in the novel.times in the novel.

Two characters in the novel symbolize the Two characters in the novel symbolize the mockingbird: Tom Robinson & Boo Radley.mockingbird: Tom Robinson & Boo Radley.

Themes

• The theme of a piece of fiction is its view about life and how people behave.

• In fiction, the theme is not intended to teach or preach. In fact, it is not presented directly at all. You extract it from the characters, action, and setting that make up the story. In other words, you must figure out the theme yourself.

• Basically, it’s the message about life the work is teaching to the reader

-It’s not a man with a gun in his hand.

“It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through, no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”

-Atticus Finch

Courage

“If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks.

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you crawl into his skin and walk around in it.”

Understanding Others

Themes

• There are many more themes we will discuss within To Kill a Mockingbird

• Now that you have a better understanding of theme, be on the lookout for theme in the novel

• Any other ideas you might have gathered so far in your reading?