Symbolism
The Broken Glasses
A rabid dog had been walking around in the neighborhood (Tim Johnson) and many of the people of Maycomb panicked and decided to shut their doors and stayed inside for this reason. It is also because of this that Mr. Tate, the sheriff, and Atticus Finch, needed to shoot the dog and end it's life. With the dog being so close to the Radley's home, Mr. Tate handed the rifle to Atticus and told him to shoot due to his history with shooting and his nickname "One-Shot" Finch. Before he took the shot, Atticus had raised his glasses to his forehead, which eventually fell to the floor and broke beneath him. When Atticus shot the dog, the dog fell over to the ground and laid there, lifeless. Atticus resumed to pick up his broken glasses and crushed the broken lens on the ground.
The glasses symbolize Atticus' ability to view the colors of the racist. When they slipped off, this meant that Atticus had to come to the racism without really believing in the actions. Beforehand the dog was viewed as a disgusting creature when he was seen in a crippled state. It was because of this that the dog had to be killed, which was intended to symbolize the whites looking at the blacks in disgust and thinking of them as a lower form of life.
The glasses symbolize Atticus' ability to view the colors of the racist. When they slipped off, this meant that Atticus had to come to the racism without really believing in the actions. Beforehand the dog was viewed as a disgusting creature when he was seen in a crippled state. It was because of this that the dog had to be killed, which was intended to symbolize the whites looking at the blacks in disgust and thinking of them as a lower form of life.
The Bug & Jem
Page 319 - 320
At the beginning of page 319, Scout was beginning the process of slaughtering an innocent bug. However, she was quickly stopped by Jem. Jem told her to set it outside due to the fact that the bug didn't deserve to die. It was innocent, it wasn't doing any harm to Scout, so he demanded she set it outside into the wild to be free instead of being dead. Scout objected at first, but was easily forced by Jem. Scout realized this was a major change in Jem, because Jem was changing more into a lady compared to Scout, and was changing his attitude towards many things.
Jem not wanting to have the bug killed symbolizes his viewpoint on the death of the innocent, or in this case, the blacks. In most cases, if a black person is accused of something within the court, there is a high chance of them being punished or possibly even killed, even if they are innocent. Jem finds this to be wrong because no innocent should be killed, even if they are innocent. This also proves him being against racism, because even if the person is black, they shouldn't be killed if they are innocent, just as the bug, who Jem stopped Scout from killing for not doing anything to her.
At the beginning of page 319, Scout was beginning the process of slaughtering an innocent bug. However, she was quickly stopped by Jem. Jem told her to set it outside due to the fact that the bug didn't deserve to die. It was innocent, it wasn't doing any harm to Scout, so he demanded she set it outside into the wild to be free instead of being dead. Scout objected at first, but was easily forced by Jem. Scout realized this was a major change in Jem, because Jem was changing more into a lady compared to Scout, and was changing his attitude towards many things.
Jem not wanting to have the bug killed symbolizes his viewpoint on the death of the innocent, or in this case, the blacks. In most cases, if a black person is accused of something within the court, there is a high chance of them being punished or possibly even killed, even if they are innocent. Jem finds this to be wrong because no innocent should be killed, even if they are innocent. This also proves him being against racism, because even if the person is black, they shouldn't be killed if they are innocent, just as the bug, who Jem stopped Scout from killing for not doing anything to her.
FIRE
Page 93-95
In chapter 8,
Scout is woken up by Atticus, who tells her to get her coat and robe and to go outside. she follows his instructions, only to find that Miss. Maudie's house is on fire. Men are running up and down the street, carrying Miss. Maudie's furniture, as her house is in the process of being engulfed in flames. As Jem and Scout watched the people try and put out the flames, Jem couldn't warm her up, but she then felt warmth when a blanket was placed upon her. She believed the person to place the blanket upon her to keep her warm was Boo Radley
This symbolizes the beginning of "Hell," or just meaning that events following this one would be downhill, and the book from after this point just takes a downward spiral. Then, as i said before, when the two siblings; Jem and scout, watched the fire burn, Jem could not keep Scout warm, so Boo Radley put a blanket on her. This symbolizes how Boo is like a "guardian angel" to her. This title that Boo would continue to show in coming events.
In chapter 8,
Scout is woken up by Atticus, who tells her to get her coat and robe and to go outside. she follows his instructions, only to find that Miss. Maudie's house is on fire. Men are running up and down the street, carrying Miss. Maudie's furniture, as her house is in the process of being engulfed in flames. As Jem and Scout watched the people try and put out the flames, Jem couldn't warm her up, but she then felt warmth when a blanket was placed upon her. She believed the person to place the blanket upon her to keep her warm was Boo Radley
This symbolizes the beginning of "Hell," or just meaning that events following this one would be downhill, and the book from after this point just takes a downward spiral. Then, as i said before, when the two siblings; Jem and scout, watched the fire burn, Jem could not keep Scout warm, so Boo Radley put a blanket on her. This symbolizes how Boo is like a "guardian angel" to her. This title that Boo would continue to show in coming events.
The Snowman
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird in chapter 7, the snowman represents on how things are not always what they seem to be, because in the book it just seems as if its just a regular snowman that Jem and Scout want to build for the fun because Alabama barely gets snowfall, but in this purpose the snowman has more meaning to it then it appears. For one thing the snowman shows that they didn't have enough snow to make the snowman so they built a mud structure then the snow covers the mud. The white (snow) is over powering and on the top of the mud (black). It represents how the whites have more power over the blacks at the time during the 1930's. It also showed that even though the whites thought they were higher than the blacks, they were really the same meaning that all of them were equal.